The Desert Spear (#2)
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.
Reviews
“A gripping sequel […] emphasizes political and romantic intrigue without losing the urgency of the demon war.”Booklist
“Extends the author’s panoramic vision […] Fans of epic fantasy in the tradition of Robert Jordan and George R. R. Martin will enjoy the arrival of a strong voice in multivolume epic fantasy.”
“Sure to leave fans on tenterhooks waiting for the next installment.”
“An earthy, entertaining and traditional epic fantasy.”Sacramento Book Review
"Well-drawn characters, fascinating world-building, action and conflict make for an exciting page-turner.”
“An epic and highly readable story. It seems likely that this author will take his place among the most important writers in his part of the genre.”
“Just as enticing, absorbing and mesmerizing as The Painted Man, and Brett makes every character pivotal and every action significant.”Total SciFi Online
“A nice break from most of the recent fantasy novels I’ve read. Brett tells an exciting story and his set up is sufficiently novel to be interesting in its own right.”Critical Mass
“One of those rare books where the sequel is better than the first book. Mr. Brett really comes into his own in this book … Each character’s story is interesting and heartbreaking in its own way.”
“An incredible piece of work.”
“Very worthy follow-up to his excellent first novel […] a strong book in its own right, more than avoiding the pitfalls of that dreaded second novel curse.”
“A magnificent work that delivers everything a sequel should […] an absolute masterpiece, and there’s no doubt in my mind that the Demon War books will come to be regarded as classics of the genre.”HorrorScope
“A gripping read […] just about everything one could ask for in the second volume of a fantasy series.”SFF World
“Dynamic and exciting throughout, this second book confirms the hype about this saga and author […] La Lance du Desert offers us a credible universe, ‘known’ and yet original.”Joystick Magazine (France)
“An incredibly engaging read and I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to see what happens next. I highly recommend you take a look.”Walker of Worlds
“A talented, talented man with the ability to create a world, expand upon it, throw in some excellent twists and really develop the characters […] Everything you could possibly want from a book is here. If you haven’t read this, you really are missing out and I can tell you right now that until you do so you have not experienced fantasy at its finest.”
“THE DESERT SPEAR will be a worthy contender for my year end lists.”
“The world that Brett has created is impressive […] a clever and fantastical storyline.”
“DESERT SPEAR is a delightful read that calls to mind the great epic fantasies of years gone by […] The Demon Cycle may one day be considered on part with the Wheel of Time and other fantasy icons.”Staffer’s Books Review
“The story has been very skillfully written, giving this book both a coming of age theme and a well-paced plot […] it’s growing up to be one of the best fantasy series ever written.”
“Deserves to be read by every fantasy fan out there […] Do not miss this series.”
“THE DESERT SPEAR is a tour-de-force fantasy epic – brilliantly written, wonderfully realised, and highly addictive. I loved this.“
“Peter V. Brett is one of my favorite new authors.”Patrick Rothfuss, the New York Times bestselling author of THE NAME OF THE WIND
“If you liked the first book as much as I did, you’ll consider this one essential reading.”Charlaine Harris, The New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse mysteries
“With THE DESERT SPEAR, Peter V. Brett confirms that he is crafting the most significant and cinematic fantasy epic since The Lord of the Rings. Inspired, compelling and totally addictive.”Paul W.S. Anderson, director of Resident Evil
“I think it’s highly original and just can’t wait to make it.”Jeremy Bolt, producer of the Resident Evil franchise
Awards & Accolades
#35 New York Times Bestseller
#9 Sunday Times Bestseller
#35 Der Spiegel Bestseller
#3 Eslite Foreign Literature chart
David Gemmell Legend Award Nominee
Best of 2010 by Fantasy Faction, SFF World, Ranting Dragon, Fantasy Book Critic, Goodreads.com