The Desert Spear (2 of 3) [Dramatized Adaptation]

Written by Peter V. Brett

Narrated by A Full Cast, Eric Messner, Joe Brack and 29 more

The sun is setting on humanity. The night now belongs to voracious demons that prey upon a dwindling population forced to cower behind half-forgotten symbols of power. Legends tell of a Deliverer: a general who once bound all mankind into a single force that defeated the demons. But is the return of the Deliverer just another myth? Perhaps not. Out of the desert rides Ahmann Jardir, who has forged the desert tribes into a demon-killing army. He has proclaimed himself Shar'Dama Ka, the Deliverer and he carries ancient weapons—a spear and a crown—that give credence to his claim. But the Northerners claim their own Deliverer: the Warded Man, a dark, forbidding figure. Once, the Shar'Dama Ka and the Warded Man were friends. Now they are fierce adversaries. Yet as old allegiances are tested and fresh alliances forged, all are unaware of the appearance of a new breed of demon, more intelligent—and deadly—than any that have come before.

• Language: English
• Publisher: GraphicAudio
• Release date: Jun 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781645418276

Peter V. Brett

Peter V. Brett is the international bestselling author of THE PAINTED MAN and THE DESERT SPEAR. Raised on a steady diet of fantasy novels, comic books and Dungeons & Dragons, Brett has been writing fantasy stories for as long as he can remember. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and art history from the University at Buffalo in 1995, and then spent more than a decade in pharmaceutical publishing before returning to his bliss. He lives in New York City.

Reviews for The Desert Spear (2 of 3) [Dramatized Adaptation]

[AcedPlusMillennial · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This would be such a great series if the author wasn't so obsessed with incest and rape....

[Mr Michael Broadhurst · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is brilliant, well thought out and develops the characters well. Unique viewpoint on source of magics.

[karlstar_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The 2nd book of this series has some of the same problems as the first. We don't know any more about the demon/Corelings/elementals or why there is an endless war. The main characters are now pretty much set - Arlen, Lessa, Rojer and Jardir. Unfortunately, this book spends way too much time giving us Jardir's background and then his version of events from the first book. I realize that if he is going to be a major character he needed the same background as the others, but it felt too much like a part of the plot I already knew. I also really don't care for the Krasian's society and their approach to just about everything. The whole subject of the wards is still confusing also, apparently there are wards that will do just about anything and all it takes is knowledge of the ward to apply them. Even with all of those issues, I still enjoyed the book, its a good story. The characters are well made and relate to each other in many interesting ways, though I really wish he hadn't chosen to go the love triangle route. Still a good book and a fun read.

[alcarinqa_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Why has it taken me so long to read the second instalment of The Demon Cycle? I loved The Painted Man, I ended it eager to start reading about Arlen, Leesha and Rojer again. In one word: life. I knew I would love this, I wanted to dedicate a lot of time to the 600 page epic, and that meant waiting. I also really wanted to have the third book, The Daylight War, in my hot little hands before I started. Knowing how high-and-dry the first book had left me, I was taking no chances with the sequel.The Desert Spear doesn't disappoint. It sucks you right back into the exquisite world that Brett has created: the wards, the demons, the fight for succour, the desert people of Krasia. Populated by humans of every kind, from the pious to the scum, and everything in between, this world is, creepily enough, one of my favourite places to be in. The author adds to the cleverly crafted realm by adding the perspective of a demon prince, and allowing us a behind the silk curtains in the Krasian way of life. We might not always like what we see, but it adds a dimensionality to the world that few authors can achieve so seamlessly.The thing that's missing from this book is the crippling fear of demons that permeated the first book. Glimpses into the demon prince's mind have little to do with this (in fact, what little I gleaned about demonic social structures and thought process inspired fear and war). Demons are no longer creatures to be feared - with the fighting wards, warded weapons, cloaks that hide one from demon's eyes - and become a passing nuisance while the Warded Man journeys across the country-side. It's a bit disappointing, but it does allow for a lot of character development and the expansion of the world, so I can't really resent it.Things I didn't like? I could point out that the way the Krasian's treated their women made me nauseous, but there were - and are - cultures like that a-plenty in our world so I'd feel silly bringing it up. One thing I loved is the way that the women in this culture - lower than the lowliest man - grasped and controlled power. A society that condones the rape and killing of its weakest members (male and female alike), gives an interesting amount of private power to women, however oppressed they are in public. It's an interesting dynamic, and the more I found out about it, the more I wanted to know.You want to read this book, you just might not know it yet! Dynamic characters, exquisite world-building, and the masterful story-telling skills of Brett combine to make The Desert Spear just as compelling, just as exceptional as The Painted Man.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

[hazysaffron · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love the way the author brought the stories from the first book, The Warded Man into this book. Jardir's (the self-proclaimed Shar'Dama Ka) story shows us the brutal honor-bound culture of the desert people. He is a direct contrast the the civilized Northerners who have declared (against his will) The Warded Man their Deliverer. Ultimately both peoples want the demons destroyed but the desert people think the only way to do this is by subjugating all peoples beneath their leader & imposing their brutal faith on the world. It is interesting how the two groups can be compared to our own modern world.

My biggest complaint with the books would be how the lead female characters are always torn down, subjugated, and brutalized in one way or another. Brett builds these women up and always manages to make them a victim. I wish he hadn't done this to ALL of the best female characters. He did such a good job of making them own their own power and presence and he seemed just as determined to tear them all the way down.

I understand that one of the underlying themes of the books is the old-world old-school vision of paternal honor, but it doesn't all have to exclude woman who don't rely upon gender to achieve power.

Overall I love this series despite my gripes and I look forward to reading the last book.

[griffin22 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I took a while to get into this one, as a lot of the first half consists of flashbacks about Jadir’s youth, whereas I wanted to get on with the now (and Arlen). And the bits about Renna were very distressing and distasteful. But then it got exciting, with things I didn’t remember from the first time I read it several years ago, and I finished the last third quickly.

[lvbookmark · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good read. Looking forward to more.

[kat_woman38 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The second book in the Demon Cycle series, Arlen Bales has grown to a man and become a Messenger, a man who braves the naked night to bring packages and messages from town to town. He meets Ahmann Jardir of Krasia, and becomes friends with him, despite the vast differences in their cultures and beliefs. Eventually, Arlen's travels bring him to Cutter's Hollow, and he meets Leesha Paper and Rojer Inn. Together, their story will keep you on the edge of your seat!

[longdogmom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The second book of The Demon Cycle focuses on Ahmann Jardir, and we get to see how he grows and evolves and what motivates him. I like how the author has switched points of view from Arlen so the reader can see the same events from a different point of view, as well as giving the characters much more depth and the reader more understanding of them as complex people pulled in a variety of directions. Jadir, especially, is pulled by his friendship and loyalty to his childhood friend who is in the lowest of castes, his wife and advisor, his mother and sisters...and wanting them to be safe and protected, as well as his own desires to be the greatest warrior, and to become Shar'Dama Ka, The Deliverer of his people. He's a strong and interesting character with a depth of emotion in spite of his hardness as a warrior and leader. The Krasian culture is very much like the Greek Sparta with it's focus on creating warriors and dying with honour. Religion also plays a large role in blessing the warriors and girls are taken to have their life role revealed in a special ceremony whereby their future is shown through the throw of special dice carved from demon bones and etched with magical wards. A very small and select group of women are trained to make, use and read the dice, as well as trained in combat and in the art of seduction. They are very powerful and much of the strategy that Jadir follows is based on the advice from his wife Inevera, who is the head of this special group of women and his advisor. While the first book of the Demon Cycle, The Warded Man, is about Arlen and his background and motivations, this book details Jadir's rise to rule and his first steps towards uniting the Tribes and conquering the cities and hamlets as he leaves The Desert Spear and begins moving North.

[csdaley-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I loved The Warded Man and his part of this book still kicked ass. I however did not like the other story line. I appreciated that he tried to do something different but it just didn't float my boat. I am hoping the next one bounces back for me.

[phoenixfire0215 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In many ways, this second book is quite different from the first book. It spends a lot of time exploring the backstory of Jardir, which is nice to know about since it explains his actions in the first book. It also builds some nice depth to his character and Abban's, but the exploring is done without clear indication markers of the fact that we're going back into the past. The first time this happens, the reader spends a few moments going "What just happened?" which is not a good thing.

[msaucier818 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a solid sequel to The Warded Man - both books I really enjoyed. This book is a bit of a surprise as it opens by going back in time and telling some of the story of the world through the eyes of what was a secondary character in they first book. There is even a good section of it that covers the same part of the story, but through the eyes of Jardir rather than of Arlen, the hero of the first book. The rest of the book alternates between a handful of major characters and moves the story along.

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the first one. The world-building was one of my favorite parts of the first book, and this second book is more character driven. That is not a criticism really, more of an observation. I did enjoy this book, and am looking forward to what the author said will be three more in the series.

[narilka · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Humans have been slowly losing the war against the demons. Yet there is hope! The Warded Man has returned, proving that it is possible to stand up to the demons. Some even call him the Deliverer returned. Yet a man has ridden out of the desert, Ahamann Jardir, who has forged all the desert tribes into one demon-killing army. He has proclaimed himself the Shar'Dama Ka, the Deliverer, and carries with him an ancient spear crown, lending strength to his claim. Once friends, the Warded Man and Shar'Dama Ka are fierce adversaries. As humanity begins to ready itself for the battle to come all are unaware of a new breed of demon stalking the night, one more intelligent and deadly than ever seen before.The Desert Spear is the second in The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett. The prologue starts with introducing us to two new kinds of demons. What a tease! Then it's into the main story, which is a complete 180 from the first book. No longer are humans hiding behind their wards each night but there is a warrior society who takes the fight to the demons, refusing to let fear rule them. It is an abrupt change, the first of several in this book.We are immediately introduced to an all new point of view character, Ahmann Jardir. The first quarter of the book then proceeds to jump back and forth in time, filling us in on Jardir's backstory with insight into Krasian history and society, and current events from his perspective. While Brett's writing is superb, the history and peoples interesting, I couldn't wait for that section to end so we could rejoin our heroes from book 1. I'm also not sure if we're supposed to like the Krasian's or not. Theirs is a brutal society with a heavy caste system and a lot of violence towards women, children and khaffit, the lowest male station in Krasian society. A Krasian dictionary is included at the end of the book which came in very handy instead of trying to remember a bunch of "foreign" words. From there we are taken back to the heroes from book one. Again, we're shown how events change people. Each character is given an interesting arc. Arlen has learned to channel his anger into a weapon against the corelings but it's starting to take a toll on his humanity. Leesha's headstrong ways have allowed her to grow into a very capable leader and one amazing healer. The downside is she's starting to head into Mary Sue territory. Rojer starts to gain confidence as he learns to adapt his Jongleur skill to fight against the corelings in the most unique way, though he still has those moments of insecurity. We are also introduced to another new character, Renna Tanner. Renna was a background character in book one and is one of the most interesting additions to book two. I really enjoyed reading her story and can't wait to read more of her. With humanity finally starting to stand up against the night, the story becomes all about the people and human drama. The demons are left in the background for a good chunk of the book. However, when they do come back to the forefront it is not disappointing! That teaser we're given in the prologue pays off in full. This is also the book's biggest downside for me. I really missed the demons! With just how long it takes to get back to them I wish we'd seen more of them, especially the new species and their abilities. Hopefully there's more of this as the series continues.

[strider66_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Pros: excellent characterization, immersive writing, fast pacedCons: some readers may not like the brutal realism of the narrative (lots of rape - though nothing is graphically described)The Desert Spear is one of those rare books when the sequel is better than the first book. Mr. Brett really comes into his own in this book. The plot (and if you haven't read The Warded Man/Painted Man this will contain spoilers):Jardir, now proclaimed Shar'Dama Ka (Deliverer), has left the desert to conquer- ahem - unite the men of the North under his banner in preparation for the Sharum Ka, the final battle with the demons.Through flashbacks we get to learn how Jardir progressed to his current position, creating a sympathetic, though still brutal, antagonist. And if you don't like realism in your fantasy (rape, bullying, etc.) you won't like this. Meanwhile, Arlen, going solely by the name 'the Warded Man', tries to ally the northern nations to fight against Jardir's forces. During this mission he encounters many people he hasn't seen since his childhood, meetings that cause him to question the decisions he has made. And though others hail him as their deliverer, he has no desire to take on that role. Finally, we are reintroduced to Renna Tanner, whose father Harl became too friendly with his daughters after his wife's death. Her story is quite horrific.Mr. Brett's characters are fascinating, and remain complete people, each with good and bad points. Even Leesha, Deliverer's Hollow's herb gatherer who, under a different author would be insufferably perfect, is written so well you like her despite her many many abilities. Each character's story is interesting and heartbreaking in its own way. In fact, I wanted to skim by the (well-written) fight scenes just to get back to the character based storylines, they were so good.The demons get nastier, with a new breed introduced who are watching the two potential deliverers.Final verdict: read these books. Peter Brett's one of the best new epic fantasy writers around.

[ellemir-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow! I am impressed. A great sequel to book one - and totally different from it at the same time.

The first part of the book is set in Krasia, telling the story of Ahmann Jardir. The tone is quite different from the first one, the people of Krasia fight the demons every night instead of warding themselves in their homes. In flashbacks we learn about the youth of Jardir, how he became the man he now is, his connection to Arlen and the way he became Shar’Dama Ka, uniting his people into an army marching north.

The second part of the book is a real clash of cultures. Jardir and his army try to conquer the north, to make them part of their own empire, fighting against the demons. But their different points of view cause severe problems. In this part of the book we meet the protagonists of the first book again.

I loved this book. The story became more epic than in the first book, the protagonists (and some of the other characters as well) developed a lot and the stage is set for a war against the demons, if the humans manage to overcome their differences. I am looking forward to book three.

[temporalis_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have to say I wasn't dissapointed with this book as a sequel to the Warded Man - an improvement in almost every way on an already amazing series. The writing is superb, and Peter continues his method of telling the entire history of his main characters, even as he introduces new ones (or characters which weren't main before become main characters). You grow up with them, you understand them, and you feel what they feel - I couldn't put the book down.The first section of the book is dedicated to the history of a newly made main character - someone who I didn't like in the previous book, and so I wasn't prepared to accept him as a hero, and really didn't enjoy the first chapter or two. But the writing and story drew me in, and I have to say I enjoyed this book even more than the first. Granted it became better once it returned to the characters I've come to know from the first, but by the end of the history of the new character, I began to understand and even like parts of him. All portions of my previous review of the Warded Man apply, as Peter's writing has only improved since then.I don't want to say too much more without giving away the storyline of the two books - suffice to say, I have to put this series up there as one of my all time favorites so far, without even being complete. I can barely wait for the next book in the series to come out, sometime in 2012.

[srussells · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a great follow-up to The Warded Man. This is such a good story with characters that are truly deep. The whole story is dark and powerful as it draws you in. You actually feel what the characters are going through. You also find yourself agreeing with the hard and sometimes brutal decision they make for the greater good. Mr. Brett is truly a talented writer and I can not wait for the next installment.

[ellsea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What can I say? I've been waiting for this book ever since I read the first in the Trilogy, The Painted Man, last year. I've had it on pre-order on Amazon for what feels like forever, so I couldn't help but dip into it immediately after it arrived yesterday. I started it at 6:30, and barring one small break to put Bella to bed, read straight through to the end at somewhere around 3 a.m. - good thing we didn't have to get up for school this morning! My only complaint is that I now have another long, tortuous wait until the final installment appears - hopefully about 1 year from now. I almost wish I hadn't snarfed it so fast, because then I could have prolonged the pleasure just that bit longer ....I loved every word of this book.The story picks up from where it left off, with the invasion of Thesa/the Free Cities by the Krasian army, and follows through on the aftermath of that, connecting us through the eyes of the pov characters from the first story and an important and electrifying new addition - Ahmann Jardir, the Krasian leader. The storytelling is immediate, powerful and personal, individuals making shift as best they can in terrible circumstances, but influencing and directing events by the light of their bravery and integrity. And woven throughout the attempts to forge new alliances is Jardir's history and - indirectly - that of the Krasian people.It's utterly fascinating, and provides a compelling view of the 'other side' of the human conflict in this story. With an honour-based desert-living society it would be easy to slip into a standard muslim-bedu stereotype complete with moral judgements, but this is avoided by a total immersion in that society, giving an understanding of the imperatives driving their apparently harsh code, and the intelligent portrayal of Jardir, a fascinating man moulded into a hard warrior with little space for compassion, but at the same time a canny politician who knows the value of listening to more than one side of the story. The unfolding of his rise to power and his consolidation of position, one step at a time, spreads a broad understanding of his motivation for invading Thesa that takes him out of the region of 'monster' and makes him a very human man at the centre of momentous events, manipulating and being manipulated in turn, as he tries to drag all of humankind to a state whereby the demon invasion can be faced, and stopped.His aims, therefore, coincide with those of the characters familiar from the first book - Arlen, Rojer, Leesha - even if his methods differ. But even amongst themselves, the northerner's methods differ. Arlen pursues his head-on confrontation with any and all demons, whilst Leesha attempts a more peaceful - but no less determined - path with Rojer, devoted but hopeless, at her side. The tensions inherent in the relationships between the characters enhance and contribute to the overall conflicts, making a compelling and dramatic interplay against the background of the invasion and their attempts to rally an alliance against it. Will they be able to find common cause and stand together against the demons, or will the men destroy each other and any hope of a united, coherent defeat of the real evil? It's a fascinating question, and set against the interplay of two conflicting cultures it packs a powerful punch and poses some important questions and the validity of moral judgements without true understanding of the underlying situation/culture.And all the while, a new and deadly threat is rising from the demons as they begin to take notice of the resistance against them, and it becomes clear that there is a new level of threat beyond that which they already face awaiting them, and that the demon core is starting to move against them in earnest - and the outcome is by no means cut and dried, even with the advanced wards they are learning and sharing.But this is not totally an all-action power-packed political-military epic - there is room for the softer, more sensual side too, and that is fully exploited to deliver on a number of levels - from the straightforward eroticism of the Krasian women and the relationship between Leesha and Jardir to the hopelessness of the unrequited love Rojer feels for Leesha, and Leesha in turn feels for Arlen, and at every turn it's well-handled and convincing, alternating between blatant sexuality and an almost coy drawing-of-the-veil, with rich and vivid description making a luxurious counterpoint to the spare harshness of their world.The ending comes abruptly, too soon, on a note of hope, and left me desperate for more. Even now, a day after I read the book, I'm sick with story, snagged on elements of it, and wishing I could go back into that world to find out what happens next. I'm going to go back to the beginning, and re-read the two of them back-to-back. It won't help any with the longing, but hopefully it'll ease the craving a little.

[isamoor_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jun10:Well, was a bit of a departure from the first book. In particular, spent a bunch of back story on the leader of the 'Muslims'.Plot: Still very solid. Eventually moved on towards showing some Coreling princes and things to come. The whole harem business was a bit much at times.Characters: They spent a lot of time with the desert leader dude. He was almost worth it. the others were still around and kicking ass though.Style: Still very good. Seemed to lack a little compared to the first book. Very hard to live up to the Warded man however.

[ragwaine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was good. Much better than the first book in my opinion. You've got the deep characters and inter-character relationships along with lots of action and a spotlight on a new culture- the Crasians. Now at first I really hoped Crasian was short for "crazy Asians" because that could have been really cool. But instead the Crasians are basically Muslims-with-a-twist. Not that I didn't like that but come on, Crazy Asians sound really fun. The culture was really integral to the story and words like Shar’Dama Ka and Inevera gave the book a very exotic feel. I love the idea of warding and the whole "demons come out at night" thing leaves a lot of room for action. My only real problem with the book was that somewhere near the middle, after focusing on the exciting Crasians for a long time he went back to the non-crasians and things settled into the "Little House on the Prairie" mode again (like most of the first book). It was kind of jarring and not that much fun except for some much needed revenge.There was one other small problem: the series didn't end. It really seemed like everything was going to be finished and then it wasn't. I didn't know that a third book was already written and scheduled for release in Feb 2013. Reading the first book is definitely worth it to get to this one. Hopefully the third will be as good (and finish the series).

[rinnreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Painted Man was a fantastic book. It builds up a world of lore and magic - and The Desert Spear builds so much more on top of it. Whereas The Painted Man followed several of the protagonists from a young age to the beginnings of adulthood, The Desert Spear covers a shorter period of time, apart from the first section which tells the history of Jardir.
At first I was a bit frustrated with the amount of time spent with Jardir, who we only met for a short while in the first book, because I wanted to get back to Arlen, Leesha and Rojer. But then I grew to really like Jardir. I grew to understand why he did what he did to Arlen in the first book, why he is like he is - and how he actually has a sense of justice, and is not just out to conquer the world and look down on others like the majority of his people. Although he is rather prejudiced to begin with, he slowly starts to realise that maybe his people can learn something from the chin, or Northerners. I really loved his relationship with Leesha, it showed a softer side of him and I was glad that Leesha was finally thinking about herself for once.
One section that I particularly enjoyed was the battle at Deliverer's Hollow from Jardir's point of view, when he first visits. It was just really interesting to see these characters I've come to know through the eyes of another. And Renna's transformation! From a meek, scared young girl to a bloodthirsty warrior - I really like that she is very strong in that way, after all she's been through.
All in all, it was exactly what I was hoping it would be and more, now just to wait until next February (I believe) for the third book!

Also posted on my blog, Rinn Reads.

[sonicquack · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Desert Spear starts like a new novel, not the middle part of a trilogy. The first quarter follows the rise of Ahmann Jardir as he inexorably climbs the ranks within the tribes of Krasia. The Desert Spear, once having established this story arc, follows both Jardir and Arlen, the Painted Man, as their destinies collide. This produces a clever new direction for the plot as humans vie for power and territory whilst continuing to war against the demons after sunset. The first third is hard going, especially since the characters from the first book are entirely absent. However once the action swings back to include Arlen and his colleagues the pace and interest is back to that from the first novel. It's still dark and unforgiving at times, however it's Brett's narrative style and tone that makes this compulsive reading.

[arhoads29 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this second installment of the Demon Cycle you get more of Jardir's background. How he came to believe himself to be the Deliverer and the influence of his powerful and influential wife. You will get more information on how he and Arlen became friends and just what life in Krasian is like. Every night the chosen men, Sharum, battle demons in an arena they have made. They do not believe in hiding indoors - that is for women and children. Jardir crown himself, with the help of the spear that he stole from Arlen, the Shar'Dama Ka or deliverer and set out across the lands to gather troops and conquer lands in the name of his Daylight War. There is a new breed of demon never before seen and both Arlen (the warded man) and Jardir will be push to their limits to overcome its influence. Full of action from beginning to end The Desert Spear is a must, especially is you have read The Warded Man.

[morgangmac · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not my favorite, but a good, solid science fantasy read. In a post-apocalyptic earth-like world, demons roam the earth at night, preying on humans. Humans can only defend themselves with wards written in wood or stone or in the earth. Most people live either in small, spread out towns or in one of the few large, well-defended cities, but everyone lives in fear. One boy sets out to defy his father but finds himself defying demons with the lost are of tattooing. A young girl develops her talent as ab herb-gatherer and discovers her own lost arts of warding. Another young boy finds survival with his musical talent. The three plots intertwine to make for a compelling read.

[me3chan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book and a worthy sequel. One star away from perfect because it lacked to produce some of that rush the first book did when read.

[ck31-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was so excited to continue the story of the painted man, but got disappointed, since it started in Krasian and talked about the build up to when the spear was stolen. Up to then I would have only given it 1 star. I understand that it is important to the story, but I just didn't like the Krasian way and it took me away from the story. While I got a better understanding on the background of Jadir, I still didn't like it much.
It was not until the second half of the book when the painted man, Leesha and Rojer came back that it got exciting. Not to sure yet how I feel about Renna part in the story.
The second half was so much better. At least 4 stars. So keep reading it's worth wile. All in all an average 3 stars and definitely gonna read the next one.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book in the Demon Cycle trilogy. I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Warded Man, the first part of the book was really a drag . The second portion of the book really sucked me in though and convinced me to keep reading the series.I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was very well done. The narrator does an excellent job of distinguishing between character voices and conveying the emotions of the characters. I definitely recommend listening to this on audiobook.The first part of the book goes back and forth in time following the story of Jardir, who leads the Krasians. He was a villain in the first book, but here we learn how he rose to power. About a third of the way through the book we go back to Kylar, Rojur and Leesha and what they are doing at Cutter’s Hollow. Some of the story also focuses on Renna (the girl Kylar was promised to when he was young) and her struggles. All of the events are leading to war between the Krasian and the Northern folks.All of the characters go through quite a bit of character development. I will bluntly say I do not like Jardir and I did not like reading about him. It is fine to want the readers to understand the villain a bit better, but I didn’t need to spend half the book reading his back story...seriously I just didn’t care all that much.Because of the long digression through Jardir’s back story, the story progresses at a crawl. We really don’t get much past the point where we ended in book one. Yes there are some battles and the story progresses some, but really half of this book didn’t need to be here.The second half of this book is very well done. The characters and world are intricate and fascinating. I loved the addition of Renna to the story as well, she really brings something special to the story. The Warded Man continues to gain interesting and new powers.----------SPOILER START-----------------Why is it that all the featured female characters have to be raped in the story? It is a right of passage or something? Is there a reason why we can’t have a strong female lead that hasn’t been raped, beaten, and abused? Just curious why this seems to be a prerequisite for all the females in this book...----------SPOILER END-------------------The book is well written and the second half of the book redeems the first half. Seriously though this is a really, really long book...and it feels really, really long. It wasn’t a fun kind of long either, the first half was a truly epic struggle for me to get through. I can only hope that future books move the story along a bit faster and don’t digress into side stories that are unnecessary.Overall a decent read. I enjoyed the second half of the book immensely but throught that the first half that was dedicated to Jardir’s back story was an epic waste of time. I have The Daylight War to review, so hopefully that will be a quicker moving read. I tentatively recommend this series to fans of epic fantasy. The characters and world are very well done; the book just needs to be cleaned up and have a more concise plot.

[piersanti-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fantastic book. If the author had only skipped unnecessary descriptions and written as cleanly as Brandon Sanderson, I'd have given it five stars for sure.

[malexmave · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As with "The warded man", I had the audiobook.

After "the warded man", I wanted to love this book. I really wanted to. But I just can't get myself to giving it the full five stars. 4 1/2 maybe, but not 5.

Other people have given good, spoiler-free summaries of the story, so i'll just skip right past that. I liked the story, but I did not like how the atmosphere changed. In "the warded man", demons were something strange, powerfull and dangerous. Without giving too much away, I can say that they seem have been turned into minor annoyances after the end of book one. The humans, especially the main characters, are a tad bit overpowered most of the book, and it shows. The atmosphere of fear that was so carefully built in book one disappeared almost completely, save for some smaller parts of the book. I still liked this book a lot, but I can't give it 5/5 stars without feeling bad about it.

Beside that, I was slightly annoyed at the frequency of the phrase "turned it's own force against it". I mean, come on, Peter V Brett. You can surely come up with more than one phrase to describe this, and it happens so often that you could make a drinking game out of reading that book. I know it's a minor thing, and maybe you can take it as a compliment that I need to go to such a level to find something to criticise beside the atmosphere.

I'd still recommend the book to readers of the first book, and fantasy fans in general. It's not bad, it's just not as good as the first one was. I purchased the two books as "real" books, just to put them into my bookshelves, after listening to the first and about half of the second audiobook.

Let me close this review with a compliment to the narrator of the audiobook. Again, Pete Bradbury did an incredible job, and managed to voice all characters in a distinct and fitting manner. I'm still looking forward to "The daylight War", both the book and the audiobook.

[mossjon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The first of the four sections of Desert Spear gave us a hawk's eye view of life as a desert warrior. Jardir and Abban provided the lenses through which we observed the life paths of the warrior caste and the scorned merchant caste. To their own detriment, the Karsians are living (or dying) proof of Darwin's theory of evolution: only the strong survive. We saw glimpses of the other castes, including the clerics, subdivisions within the warriors and the women (as broodmares in the warriors' harems, as healers, as seeresses/sorceresses).

Jardir acquires the Spear of the Deliverer (less honorably and nobly than he should have), declares himself the Deliverer returned and advances north to invade, conquer, convert and conscript everyone and everything to begin the Karsian version of Armageddon against the corelings.

Jardir overruns the first fort in the North with little trouble and begins advancing on the next rather than waiting a year to consolidate and secure supplies. He leaves the khaffit (merchant caste) behind to do what it does best while he proceeds further north with his quest.

The rest of the sections reunite us with Arlen (the Warded Man), Leesha (Herb Gatherer of recently renamed Deliverer's Hollow), and Rojer (violinist of exceptional skill and talent, especially in charming demons and unruly animals). Renna makes a dramatic comeback from Tibbet's Brook.

While we learn many things about the Karsians, their history, philosophy, culture, customs and religion, we see less character development from the cast of the first novel. However, we are introduced, briefly to two new powerful demon types, who play pivotal roles throughout the story. Of the four listed above, Leesha learns and adapts most, while Renna's suffering wrenched my heart, yet her redemption and liberation satisfied tremendously. Arlen and Rojer seem stunted emotionally in comparison.

A quick read, even at nearly six hundred pages, surging with action and adventure.