The Desert Spear

Great Concept, Good Characters, Too Much Back Story

As an avid reader of contemporary epic fantasy, I find this second volume in Peter V. Brett's yet-to-be-named series a good read and well worth the purchase. This book was much better than the first (The Warded Man) in execution, delivery and plot progression.
However, this author has a huge fondness for what is called "back-story." Yes, by spending the first 150 pages learning about how the child became an adult, and how many of his decisions of his youth come back to haunt him as he gains power and influence can be interesting, the length is too great. (He had even more in The Warded Man, just warning you.) All of what took place during those years could have revealed in little paragraph vignettes, leaving either a shorter book, or more room for plot progression. The themes and content of the story are solidly adult oriented (I would not recommend this series for anyone under 15), yet he feels the need to lay out his groundwork like the authors who write for juveniles (Lewis, Coifer, Mull) or were writing in the early days of fantasy (Tolkein, Anthony, Eddings).
He would do well, I believe to take a page from Martin, Haydon and Duncan: Your readers are smart. You give them enough hints and they'll figure out the local "mythology," social structure, geography, and "magic" without having to possibly bore them with the tale of how character A stubbed his toe in front of the girl he liked, and how this has absolutely no bearing on the final story.
Don't let my jadedness keep you from picking up this book. I still enjoyed it and will read it again.
Happy Reading!

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Desert Spear feels like a bridge to Book 3

The Desert Spear continues Brett's tale of the Warded Man. The various threads that were started in The Warded Man are here knitted closer together against the backdrop of a brewing war against the corelings. The first third of the book is dedicated to turning Jardir (slowly) from a caricature into a character. As Jardir matures alongside our understanding of him, Brett sets up the clash of cultures that defines much of the remainder of the book. By the end of the tale, the characters have mostly set aside their childish things and we are left with the hope that they can move forward into a third novel without any truly tragic misunderstandings.

The book feels like a bit of a rush job, but if you enjoyed The Warded Man then you will be eager to see the next leg of the journey. There are numerous scenes that feel like they should either be improved or deleted and summarized second-hand. The plot advances slowly or not at all, but the cast evolves and develops new relationships well enough to keep the reader sated. Upon finishing the book, I was hungry for all hell (and the love polygon) to break loose in a book three.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Peter V. Brett's Best Work Yet

Although it is well known that Brett does not return to the POV of the Warded Man's characters until well into the first third of the Desert Spear, the method to his madness quickly becomes apparent. In order to appropriately capture the struggle between the two cultures, that of the Northerners against the raiding Krasian army, Brett spends the initial pages of this sequel revealing the Krasian leader, Jardir, to the readers. Once the author is able to provide an enemy that is more ambiguous than the loathsome leader in the Warded Man, Brett returns to the events of Thesa at a stunning pace. The Desert Spear finds the established characters, Arlen, Leesha, and Rojer, tasked with the challenges of their prominent roles in addition to the themes of loss and personal responsibility. A few supporting characters also rise to interesting roles and add to the wealth of interaction and personality that Peter V. Brett's societies have come to embody. If this wasn't enough, the author expands upon the roster of demons to provide more threatening predators, in the form of mind demons and mimic demons. These components build throughout the Desert Spear to leave a climax with little closure near the end of the book, instilling a maddening need to read The Daylight War, which will be the follow-up to Desert Spear as well as the third book in the Demon Cycle series. While the main complaint regarding the Desert Spear was the narration dedicated to the Krasians at the beginning of the book, it is a feeble one at best because of the wealth of character and culture that Brett has meticulously installed within the desert population. With feudal Japan and Sparta as an influence, in addition to multiple cultures throughout history, the range and scope given to the Krasians is a necessary evil that only expands exponentially upon the Demon Cycle canon. While some readers may be disappointed by Brett's approach, I see it only as perfect. The Desert Spear is sets high expectations for the future releases within the Demon Cycle series.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Ranked with the best known authors like Brent Weeks, George R.R. Martin, Terry Goodkind, and David Gemmel to name a few.

I throughly enjoyed this book, and can't wait for the third volume to come out, I just wished that I didn't have to wait until 2012! I normally wait until an author has finished the set before buying any of the books. But I had ran out of books to read and had bought the "Warded Man" after reading the back cover for the warded man I had my trepadiation about the book, but pressed forward anyway. Once I got the book I could not put it down, immediately after reading it I bought Desert Spear, I throughly enjoyed this book also and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great read.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Demonbusters!

Peter Brett returns with a superbly paced and plotted sequel that takes us back to the world of "The Warded Man," but boy-oh-boy, it's not going to be quite what you expected!

"The Desert Spear" shows no sign of Arlen, The Warded Man, for over 100 pages! Instead,the first part of the book tells of the life of Jardir, the leader of the desert tribe that Arlen visited, and also the man who took the runed spear of power away from Arlen, and then left him to die in the desert. In many ways this whole section feels like it should have been included in 'The Warded Man,' but might have been excised by an overly cautious editing team. It's a terrific beginning, and you'll soon find yourself caught up in the ways of the desert people and all their conspiracies and politics.

Then we get back to all the characters we met in the first book, and follow them as they attempt to warn their part of the world about the impending attack from Jardir, who believes himself to be The Deliverer! Most of the Northern people think Arlen is the Deliverer, however, and when Jardir catches wind that there is another person who might be the Deliverer, he is none too pleased.

At the heart of the book is that both men want the world to be freed from the demons that rise at night. There are many exciting action sequences, and lots of new information regarding the history of the runes, and the battle between men and demons are revealed.

I loved this book! I wish the third entry was out right now, because it's good enough to make me forsake my policy of not reading two books in a row by the same author.

I just can't figure out why it took over 100 pages to get back to the main characters from the first novel.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fast-paced and filled with tons of action

Ahmann Jardir has united the Krasia desert tribes under his rule claiming he is the Shar'Dama Ka Deliverer who can destroy the night demons. He yields an ancient spear and wears a crown as old as his weapon as he leads his demon killing army towards the cities of the north.

Others also claim to be the legendary Shar'Dama Ka. In the north there is Arlen Bales although he insists he is not the Deliver, but the Warded Man; whose tattooed skin contains magical wards that devastate demonic opponents. These two charismatic leaders have arrived at critical juncture as humanity has all but lost the night to the demon hordes. Jardir and Arlen were brothers in arms, but are now opponents whose rivalry further divides the humans. Key supporters like Jardir's ambitious psychic wife Inevera, Leesha the warding healer and Rojer the fiddler with the magical music struggle with who to support. This is a particular bad time to remain at odds as a new demonic breed has challenged the humans leaving those like Renna in dire straits.

The sequel to the Warded Man continues Jardir's conquests though he seems heroic rather than brutal as he did in the first fantasy thanks in part to his Machiavellian wife coming across more villainous than him. Fast-paced and filled with tons of action as armies battle on the epic scale, The Desert Spear is an exhilarant saga even with romance including for the Wild Thing "as love is all around us, it's everywhere we go" (the Troggs did have another hit). Readers will enjoy the second entry as the Deliver and the Warded Man are opponents at a time humanity cannot afford divertive internal strife.

Harriet Klausner

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Alessandra

Alright. I'll try to write some tomarrow. It might take a while, though. I have a presentation tomarrow, a project due Friday, and my practice story for my State writing competition. Plus math, social studies, science, reading, and religion homework as well. *sighs*

Gilan

Ok but dont post it here!!! Too public. Go to arachnaphobia result one to post. Ill meet you there.

I was really looking forward to this continuation of the Warded

I was really looking forward to this continuation of the Warded Man a book which I really enjoyed. It was well written, creative and packed full of action. Not so with the Desert Spear. The story slows down so radically as to be monotonous. It's focused largely on a side character that was introduced briefly in the first book and the characters from the previous novel having or wanting to have sex, with a tiny bit of plot development in the last few chapters. A sad sequel to a great debut novel.

Great

Great story

Cole

Hey

Highly recommend. This author is a great writer.

This is a great book and a neat series.

A sequel that doest disappoint!!

This book follows the further story of the Warded Man, and other chracters from the first book **a must read** as the Warded Man wanders if his extreme and uniqe methods of exacting revenage on the demons have made him one, and rediscovering that theres more in his life then just his mission, and as the the war against the demons have finally shifted, a new threat to the Warded Man comes from the desert, and its not a demon..

Awesome

Love love this book!

Fantasy at its finest

This book was hard to put down. The plot is just different enough from the usual that it satisfies a more advanced audience and should appeal to younger readers as well.

This is a great book

The story line is so captivating it sucks you in and your ready to lose your bido lol

Brett is still in fine form

This is a worthy sequel. The only reason I give it 4 as opposed to 5 stars is that The Warded Man stands alone, is truly one of a kind. However, The Desert Spear is soooo good. Brett is unwavering in his storytelling, being explicit as necessary, even gorey - but never over the top or to excess. His writing is so good, it really should be used as an example to those studying fiction and how to write.

There will be those who may be disappointed, but it's ill-founded. For one, The Warded Man was so original that a sequel would lack that freshness. Also, where the Desert Spear was an introduction to a world and to its characters, the Desert Spear goes much deeper. The Warded Man sets the stage and identifies motivations, especially of the main character, the Warded Man. The Desert Spear follows his rival and friend more closely and gives you a better and fairer picture of the man. At the end of The Warded Man, we despised the Kazian, Jardir. However, in the Desert Spear we learn to admire him and like him as much we probably do the Warded Man. The Warded Man, while claiming he chose he path, really had no choice, as he had no coping mechanisms or anyone with whom to share his anguish. Jardir comes from a totally different mindset. He is from a culture and society that trains warriors and its people to accept the war with Demonkind and fight. As a result, he's had a chance to deal with his fears, get training, and study his enemy alongside comrades. The Warded Man stands alone in a society which lives in denial and fear.

ANYWAY, the Desert Spear is no second-rate book. If you enjoyed the Warded Man, you should read the Desert Spear, if for no other reason than to prepared for what comes next.

commme onnnnn

great book, cnt wait for the next one

this book is amazing!!!!!!

this one of the bes books i have ever read i cant wait for the next book to come out. i highly recommend this book but to fully appreciate it you have to read the warded man it makes the story that more interesting. i hated having to put the book down new favorite series!!!!

Good, for the most part

The story of Jardir, don't like the man, don't like his culture and the author seems to want the reader to sympathize with both. The author seems to be pulling at the thought that both cultures represented are equally horrid, but I'm not buying it. The world from which Arlen comes has scarce bad individuals, but the culture itself is "good". The culture from which Jardir comes has a horrid culture, with "good" individuals within a lower cast, mainly. If this guy becomes a hero, it is totally going to ruin the series. The book would have been better if it would have been busted into short stories instead; it seems short stories were intertwined to create the Desert Spear. The writing style is still very good, but losing the focus on Arlen was a mistake in my opinion. The book had its moments of superiority, but at the same time it had its share of disappointments. Still worth reading, if you actually just include the portions of Arlen, it is really, really good.