At the Gates of Darkness: Book Two of the Demonwar Saga (Demonwar Saga, 2)

Book 2 of Raymond Feist's 'Demonwar Saga' is out, and it's a top pick for any collection enjoying popularity from Book One. It begins where RIDES A DREAD LEGION left off, a decade after the conclusion of events in his three-volume Darkwar Saga. An uneasy magical alliance to protect the kingdom hasn't stopped the demonic onslaught, and the Demon Legion is taking a tool on magician Pug, who has lost nearly all he loves. A fine novel of fantasy and confrontation evolves.

At the Gates of Darkness (2010) is the second Fantasy novel in the Demonwar Saga, following Rides a Dread Legion. In the previous volume, Pug and Magnus found the starved body of Maarg, the Demon King. So who was impersonating the dead demon? Miranda brought her group out of an ambush by Belasco only to find the demons attacking Sorcerer's Isle. Pug and Magnus returned to fight the attacking demons, but one leaped on Miranda and tore out her throat. Caleb died in the burning buildings. In this novel, Pug is a Master Magician. It has been a year since the demon attack, but he still misses his wife Miranda and his son Caleb. He is now fiercely protective of Magnus. Magnus is Pug's only remaining son. He is also a Master Magician and even stronger than Pug in certain skills. James Dasher Jamison is a Baron in the Kingdom of the Western Isles. Jim is also the Minister of Intelligence for that Kingdom, a member of the Conclave of Shadows, and The Upright Man. He is truly the great grandson of Jimmy the Hand. Amirantha is a demon summoner. His brother Siri is dead, but Belasco is alive and still trying to kill him. Brandos is his foster son and Samantha is his foster daughter-in-law. Sandreena is a Knight-Adamant in the Order of the Shield of the Weak, serving in the name of the Goddess Dala. She was born to a prostitute in Krondor and followed her mother into that profession. Jim sold her to a merchant, but Brother Mathias brought her into the temple. Father-Bishop Creegan is head of the Order of the Shield in Krondor. Only the Grand Master in Rillanon is higher within the hierarchy of the Order. He is the single most powerful Father-Bishop and is probably going to be the next Grand Master. Laromendis is a Taradhel Conjurer -- an illusionist -- and the head of the council of Taradhel magic users. The Clansfolk don't usually like magicians, although those who raise and maintain the Portals -- rifts -- are acceptable. Gulamendis is a Master of Demons -- a demon summoner -- and the brother of Laromendis. Since the Taradhel believe that the demon summoners paved the way for the Demon Legion to come into their realm, he and others of his nature are hated by their fellow Elves. In this story, Jim is scouting a ruined Kesh fortification. He finds a mass of fanatics killing themselves in worship of Dahun, a great demon. Belasco is conducting the orgy of violence. When the magician signals his archers, Jim fades into the rocks while hundreds of other fanatics are shot down. Jim provides a report on this matter to Sandreena and then goes on to tell Pug about the incident. He mentions that something seems to be amiss in this scenario. Amirantha also thinks that something is wrong. The threesome consult with the High Priest of Lims-Kragma, the Death Goddess. The Archive Keeper gives them a hint of an answer. So then they go to consult the Ishapian Abbey. There they discover that a book in the Quegan Imperial Library may have m

Although their first assault was stopped, demons continue seeking ways into the planet occupied by humans, elves and others. Where demons are let loose, all life is consumed. But now, demons seem to be acting different, acting in ways that are even more frightening than before. Rather than mass attacks, with every demon pursuing his own agenda, the demons seem directed, battling under the control of others. Pug, and his small band of wizards and others, know they'll need more information if they have any hope of confronting these newly organized demons when they break through into Pug's plane. Whether they're officially members of Pug's 'conclave of shadows' or not, intelligence agents and knights from around the world siphon information to the heart-broken Pug. It takes a major expedition, however, to get their hands on the one book that shows an understanding of the true nature of the demon realm...and might give them a chance to battle the demons with some hope for victory. Pug's allies and demon experts soon discover that everything they thought they knew is either wrong or, at best, incomplete. Ultimately, Pug and the others are able to reach the gateway the demons have constructed, where they learn that one of the demon-lords has partially taken control of a human and is hoping that the human's death will hasten his arrival. Author Raymond E. Feist writes at a consistently high-quality level, with interesting and fully dimensioned characters, realistic conflict between primary characters, and with compelling fantasy antagonists to drive the story forward. AT THE GATES OF DARKNESS lives up to Feist's high standards and is an enjoyable read. I found, however, that much of the book is setup. There isn't a lot of suspense in the scenes where Pug and the others track down the Book of Demons, for example, and until the climactic scene at the end, Pug is dramatically more powerful than anything he faces. The conflict between the star-crossing elves and the elves who stayed behind was a major element in the first novel in this series but it doesn't really move forward in this second. GATES has at least some of the aspects of a second book in a series...too much moving around getting ready for the conclusion and not quite enough stuff actually happening here.

At the Gates of Darkness is a great addition to the world of Midkemia. It's a story about a demon scourge invading the Midkemia from various rifts. In response to the invasion, Pug and his unlikely friends, which include two Taredhel elves, a Novindus Warlock, and various friends and relatives, gather to combat this growing threat. If you are a fan of Midkemia lore and understanding the history of this fascinating place, then this book is one for you. Although it's not as action packed as some of Feist novels, it is a faithful installment for this saga and builds on the characters and story so that future occurrences are understood. I really enjoyed this book and the Taredhels are BAs.

I have always been interested in magic and Mid-evil times and This book consumed me, like the demon Dahun consumed Belasco.