The Daylight War (Demon Cycle Series #3)

( 51 )

Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

With 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 ...

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More About This Book

Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

With 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 about The 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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  • The Daylight War
    The Daylight War  

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

The much-anticipated third episode of Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle picks up the story of 2010's Desert Spear. At its heart is nothing less than the survival of humanity against an onslaught of demons. To fight this advancing scourge, Arlen Bales and Ahmann Jaredir must bury their own differences and become deliverers. The momentous lynchpin installment of a five-part fantasy saga.

From the Publisher
“[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 about The 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
Kirkus Reviews
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.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780345503824
  • Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
  • Publication date: 2/12/2013
  • Series: Demon Cycle Series , #3
  • Pages: 656
  • Sales rank: 22009
  • Product dimensions: 6.40 (w) x 9.36 (h) x 1.68 (d)

Meet the Author

Peter V. Brett
Peter V. Brett is the internationally bestselling author of The Warded 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, then spent more than a decade in pharmaceutical publishing before returning to his bliss. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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Read an Excerpt

The Daylight War: Book Three of The Demon Cycle

By Peter V. Brett

Del Rey

Copyright © 2013 Peter V. Brett
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780345503824
9780345503824|excerpt

Turtledove / THE DAYLIGHT WAR

Chapter 1

Arlen

:: 333 AR Summer ::

30 Dawns Before New Moon

Renna kissed Arlen again. A gentle breeze swept across the thin sheen of sweat on their bodies, cooling them as they panted on the hot night.

“Been wonderin’ if you were tattooed under that cloth nappy,” she said, nestling in next to him and putting her head on his bare chest, listening to his heart.

Arlen laughed and put his arm around her. “It’s called a bido. And even my obsession has limits.”

Renna lifted her head, putting her lips to his ear. “Maybe you just need a Warder you trust. It’s a wife’s duty to take good care of what’s in her husband’s bido. I could paint you with blackstem . . .”

Arlen swallowed, and she could see his skin flush. “The wards would distort even as you drew them.”

Renna laughed, wrapping him in her arms and dropping her head back to his chest.

“Wonder sometimes if I’m cracked,” she said.

“How’s that?” Arlen asked.

“Like I’m still sitting in Selia Barren’s spinning room, staring off into space. Everything since has been like a dream. Wonder if my mind just took me to a sunny place and left me there.”

“You’ve a poor imagination if this is your sunny place,” Arlen said.

“Why?” Renna asked. “I’m rid of Harl and that corespawned farm, stronger than I ever imagined, and dancing in the naked night.” She swept a hand around her. “Everything’s awash in color and glow.” She looked at him. “And I’m with Arlen Bales. How could my sunny place be anywhere else?”

Renna bit her lip as the words rushed to them. Words she had thought to herself many times, but never dared say aloud. Part of her hesitation was fear of Arlen’s reaction, but much of it was her own doubt. All the Tanner sisters had been willing to run to the bed of the first decent man they met, but had any of them ever been in love?

Renna had thought she loved Arlen when they were children, but she only knew him from afar, and understood now that much of what she cherished had been her imagination of what he was like in close, rather than the boy himself.

Renna had convinced herself that she loved Cobie Fisher this past spring, but she saw the lie of that now. Cobie hadn’t been a bad sort, but if any other man had come to Harl’s farm, Renna knew she would likely have seduced him, too. Anything to get away, because anywhere was better than that farm, and any man in creation was better than her da.

But Renna was done lying. And done biting her tongue.

“Love you, Arlen Bales,” she said.

Her courage fled as the words left her lips and she held her breath, but there was no hesitation as Arlen tightened his arms around her. “Love you, Renna Tanner.”

She exhaled, and all the fear and doubt left her.

Charged as she was with magic, Renna found no sleep as they lay, but she would not have wished for any. Warm and safe, she wondered almost idly how she and Arlen could have been fighting a demon prince and its servants on this very spot a few hours before. It seemed a different world. A different life. For a short time, they had escaped.

But as the sweat dried and the glow of passion faded, the real world began to creep back into focus, terrible and frightening. They were surrounded by the bodies of dead corelings, black ichor splattered all over the clearing. One, the shape-shifting demon, still wore her form, its head neatly severed and leaking ichor. Not far off, Twilight Dancer still lay with his legs in splints after nearly being killed by a mimic demon.

“Going to need to heal Dancer again before he can walk,” Arlen said. “Even then, it might be another night or two before he’s at full strength.”

Renna looked around the clearing. “Don’t like the idea of staying here another night.”

“Me neither,” Arlen said. “Corelings will be drawn here tomorrow like worms to a rain puddle. I have a safehold nearby with a cart big enough to carry Dancer. I can fetch it and be back not long past sunrise.”

“Still have to wait for nightfall,” Renna said.

Arlen tilted his head at her. “Why?”

“Horse weighs more’n your da’s house,” Renna said. “How we gonna get him in the cart without night strength? Who’ll pull the thing, for that matter?”

Arlen looked at her, and even through the wards tattooed all over his face, his expression told all. “Stop that,” she snapped.

“What?” Arlen asked.

“Deciding whether or not to lie to me,” Renna said. “We’re promised now, and there oughtn’t be lies ’tween man and wife.”

Arlen looked at her in surprise, then shook his head. “Wan’t gonna lie, exactly. Just tryin’ to decide if it’s time to talk about it.”

“Is if you value your skin,” Renna said. Arlen squinted at her, but she met his eyes and after a moment he shrugged.

“Don’t lose all my strength in the day,” he said. “Even under the noon sun I reckon I could pick up a milk cow and throw it farther than you can skip a brook stone.”

“What makes you so special?” Renna asked.

Arlen gave her that look again, and she scowled, shaking a fist at him only half mockingly.

Arlen laughed. “Tell you all once we get to my safehold. Honest word.”

Renna smirked. “Kiss on it, and it’s a deal.”

While she waited, Renna took out the warding kit Arlen had given her, placing a clean cloth on the ground and laying the tools out in a neat row. She took out her brook stone necklace and her knife, and slowly, carefully, lovingly, began to clean them.

The necklace was a promise gift from Cobie Fisher, a stout cord strung through dozens of smooth, polished stones. It was so long Renna needed to loop it twice, and it still fell below her breasts.

The knife had belonged to her father, Harl Tanner. He’d always kept it at his belt, sharp as a razor. He’d used it to murder Cobie when she ran away to be with him, and she in turn had used it to kill him.

If that hadn’t happened, Renna and Cobie would have been man and wife when Arlen came back to Tibbet’s Brook. The necklace was a symbol of her failure to be true to Arlen, a promise gift from another man. The knife was a reminder of a man who had kept her in a private Core her entire life.

But Renna could bring herself to part with neither. For better or worse, they were the only things in the world that were truly hers, the only parts of her day life that had come into the night. She had warded them both, the necklace with defensive wards, and the knife with offensive. The necklace could serve as a ward circle in need, but proved an even more effective garrote. And the knife . . .

The knife had punched through the chest of a coreling prince. Even now, its magic shone brightly to her warded eyes. Not just the wards—the entire blade had a dull glow to it. It drew blood on her finger at the barest touch.

She knew the power would burn away with the sun, but at the moment, the weapon seemed invincible. Even in the day, it would be stronger. Magic always left things better than it found them. Likewise, the barest brush of the polishing cloth brought the necklace back to a shine, the cord even tougher than when it was made.

Renna stood guard over Twilight Dancer until dawn. The morning sun struck the scattered bodies of the corelings, setting them ablaze. It was a sight she never tired of, though it came at a heavy price. Even as the demons burned, the blackstem wards on her skin began to tingle as their magic faded. The knife grew hot in its sheath, burning her leg. She had to lean against a tree for support, feeling like a Jongleur’s puppet with the strings cut, weak and half blind.

The disorientation passed quickly, and Renna took a deep breath. With a few hours’ rest, she would feel fitter than the best day of her life, but even that was but a pale shadow of how she felt in the night.

How did Arlen retain his power in the sunlight? Was it that his wards were permanent tattoos rather than blackstem stains? If so, she would take a needle and ink to her skin that very day.

The demon corpses burned hot and fast, in seconds leaving only scorched ground and ash. Renna stamped out the last few scrub fires before they had a chance to grow, and then finally gave in to her exhaustion, curling next to Twilight Dancer and falling asleep.



Renna was still next to Twilight Dancer when she awoke, but rather than the moss bed she had gone to sleep on, she was now lying on a rough blanket in the back of a trundling cart. She popped her head up and saw Arlen out front wearing the yoke. He pulled them along at an impressive pace.

The sight washed the last vestige of sleep from her, and Renna vaulted easily into the driver’s seat, grabbing the reins and giving them a loud crack. Arlen jumped straight up in surprise, and Renna laughed. “Giddyap!”

Arlen gave her a sour look, and Renna laughed again. She leapt down from the cart and kept pace with him. The road was poorly kept and overgrown in places, but not so much as to hinder them.

“Sweetwell’s just up ahead,” Arlen said.

“Sweetwell?” Renna asked.

“S’what they named the town,” Arlen said. “On account of how good the well water tasted.”

“Thought we were avoiding towns,” Renna said.

“None but ghosts in this one,” Arlen said, and Renna could hear the pain in the words. “Sweetwell was taken by the night a couple years ago.”

“You knew the place before it was taken?” she asked.

Arlen nodded. “Used to come here sometimes, back when I was a Messenger. Town had ten families. ‘Sixty-seven hardworkin’ folk,’ they loved to say. They had some queer ways about them, but they were always glad to see the Messenger, and they made the harshest poteen you ever drank.”

“You ent had my da’s,” Renna grunted. “Worked same as drink or lamp oil.”

“Sweetwell’s was so strong, the Duke of Angiers had it outlawed,” Arlen said. “Struck the town from the maps and ordered the Messengers’ Guild not to visit there anymore.”

“But you still did,” Renna said.

“Corespawned right we did,” Arlen said. “Who’s he think he is, cutting a town off like that? Besides, a Messenger could make six months’ pay with one poteen run to Sweetwell. And I liked the Wellers. They had their whole town warded, the place abustle day and night. You could hear them singing a mile away.”

“What happened?” Renna asked.

Arlen shrugged. “Started working farther south, and stopped visiting for a few years. Wasn’t until after I started warding my flesh that I came back this way. I’d spent months in the wild at that point. Got so lonely I used to talk out loud to Dancer, carrying the conversation for the both of us. I was cracking, and I knew it.”

Renna thought of all the times she’d talked to the animals on her father’s farm the same way. How many heartfelt talks had she had with Mrs. Scratch, or Hoofy? Even with Harl around, she knew from lonely.

“Realized I was near Sweetwell one day,” Arlen said, “and decided to wrap my hands and face in cloth and tell ’em some tampweed tale about how I was burned by firespit. Anything to talk to a person and have them talk back. But when I got to the town, it was quiet for the first time.”

They passed a stand of trees, and the village came into view, ten sturdy thatch-roofed houses and a Holy House in a neat circle around a central boardwalk with a great well at its eye. There were wardposts along the outer perimeter, and each house had two stories, the top for living and the bottom a work space/shopfront. There was a smithy, a tavern, a stable, a baker, a weaver, and others less easily identified.

Renna felt unnerved as they crossed the boardwalk to the stable. Everything was so well preserved. There was no sign that demons had come, and it seemed that at any moment, people would come pouring out of the buildings. She could see their ghosts in her mind’s eye as they went about their lives.

“Boardwalk was full of bones and blood and demonshit when I got in close,” Arlen said. “Still stank, as if it had only been a few days. Days! If only I’d come sooner, I could have . . .”

Renna touched his arm, saying nothing.

“One of the wardposts looked like it cracked and blew over in the wind,” Arlen went on. “Wood demons must’ve found the gap and fell on the folk at evening supper. A few fled into the night, but I tracked them and found only remains.”

Renna could picture it vividly, the Wellers all gathered around the wooden tables on the boardwalk, sharing a communal meal, completely unprepared when the corelings struck. She could hear the screams and see the dying. Dizzied by it all, she dropped to her knees as her stomach churned.

Arlen put his hand on her shoulder a moment later, and Renna realized she’d been weeping. She looked up at him guiltily.

“Ent nothin’ to be ashamed of,” he said. “Took it a fair bit worse myself.”

“What did you do?” Renna asked.

Arlen blew out a breath. “Blacked out a few weeks. Spent the days burying bones, drunk on poteen, and the nights killing every corespawn that came within ten miles of Sweetwell.”

“Saw fresh tracks on the way in,” Renna noted.

Arlen grunted. “They’ll be bonfires come tomorrow morning.”

Renna put her hand on the hilt of her knife, spitting on the boardwalk. “Honest word.”

They moved on to the stable, and Arlen eased Twilight Dancer down to the floor. He grunted with the exertion, but managed the task easily enough. Renna shook her head, doubting she could have done the same even when charged with magic in the night.

“We’ll need some water,” Arlen said.

“I’ll fetch it,” Renna said, turning toward the central well. “Want to taste water so sweet they named a town after it.”

Arlen grabbed her arm. “Water ent too sweet anymore. Found Kennit Sweetwell, the town elder, floating in the well. Rotted for more’n a week before I could climb down and haul what was left of him up. Well’s poison now. Pump behind the tavern still runs clean, but it ent anything to name a town over.”

Renna spat again, fetching a bucket and heading to the tavern. Again, her hand drifted to her knife, caressing the bone handle. Night couldn’t come soon enough.

When Dancer was seen to, they took time to wash and ate a cold meal in the empty tavern. “There’s a rent room upstairs,” Arlen said. “We can get a few hours’ sleep before night falls.”

“Rent room?” Renna asked. “When there are whole houses for the taking?”

Arlen shook his head. “Dun’t feel right to take someone else’s bed after they been cored. That room was where I slept when I was a Messenger, and it’s good enough.”

Love you, Arlen Bales, she thought, but there was no need to repeat what had already been said. She nodded and followed him up the stairs.

Even the rent room was bigger than any Renna had ever slept in before, with a large feather bed. Renna sat on it, amazed at its softness. She had never slept on anything softer than a straw mattress. She lay back. This was softer than a cloud.

Her eyes wandered the room as she sank farther into the feathery embrace. Arlen had clearly spent some time here. There was his signature clutter on every surface—pots of paint, brushes, etching tools, and books. A small writing desk had been made into a workbench, and there were wood shavings and sawdust all over the floor.

Arlen crossed the room, folding a rug out of the way and finding a loose floorboard beneath. He pulled and an entire section of the floor came up with it, cleverly disguised with sawdust to hide the cracks. Renna sat up, and her eyes widened as she looked within. It was full of weapons—oiled, sharp, and heavily warded. She slid off the bed, moving to him and crouching for a better look, her eyes dancing along Arlen’s warding.

Arlen selected a small goldwood bow and a quiver of arrows, handing it to her. “Time you learned to shoot.”

Renna’s lip curled in distaste. He was trying to protect her again. Keep her from fighting in close. Keep her safe. “Don’t want it. Don’t want no spears, neither.”

“Why not?” Arlen asked.

Renna held up her brook stone necklace in one hand, and drew her knife with the other. “Don’t wanna kill corelings from some hiding spot. I kill a demon, I want it to die knowin’ who did it.”

Continues...
Excerpted from The Daylight War: Book Three of The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett Copyright © 2013 by Peter V. Brett. Excerpted by permission of Del Rey, a division of Random House, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 51 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(31)

4 Star

(12)

3 Star

(2)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(6)
See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 51 Customer Reviews

  • Posted Mon Feb 18 00:00:00 EST 2013

    more from this reviewer

    A 4-star fantasy with a 5-star cliffhanger . . . WOW!

    Much as he did with the second instalment, Brett casts us back in time to open up the novel, introducing us to the back story of Inevera. It's a truly fascinating tale, perhaps more so than her husband's, which truly serves to flesh out her character and better definer her edges. Rather than transform her from villain to hero, as the opening of The Desert Spear did for Jaridr, it lays the ground for a more sympathetic understanding of her motives, and establishes her as a much more cunning and dangerous foe. Most interesting of all, we get to see the 'truth' behind her die casting, the unvarnished facts as she reads them, not as she interprets them for others.

    Renna proves that her heroics in the closing chapters of the second book were not just an anomaly, while also developing her relationship with Arlen in some rather intriguing ways. There's a desperate sort of happiness there that is entirely unexpected, humanizing Arlen even as he demonstrates just how close he's come to the Core. I wasn't sure about her role after the last book, and I still have a nagging fear that there's either a fall or a betrayal in her future, but Brett succeeds in making her a partner worthy of The Warded Man himself. More importantly, he doesn't allow questions of love and duty to blind Arlen to the truth, resulting in some surprising (but welcome) revelations late in the story.

    Already a favourite of mine, Rojer really outdoes himself in this volume, earning himself a place at the forefront of the battle. He grows and matures as the mantle of responsibility settles a little more comfortably upon his shoulders; he makes an awkward, politically arranged, suspicion-laden marriage not only work, but become a high point of the story; and he even comes to terms with his past, as he's forced to publicly confront Arrick's misdeads . . . and lingering legacy. He's not the flashy, attention-demanding hero that Arlen is, but neither is he the meek, content to linger in the shadows, sidekick that he seemed set up to be in the first two volumes.

    If there were to be a weak spot for me in the characterization, though, it would definitely be with Leesha. The drama, the romantic entanglements, and the teenager-like angst were just too much for me. The power and the strength that she showed in the first two volumes really seemed to be leached away here, as she began feeling sorry for herself and almost insisting that she be defined by the men in her life.

    The story progression follows a weird arc once again, with some early developments, a lot of waiting, and a premature climax. Fortunately, there's a lot of story between developments, with the evolution of the Hollow, the new application of wards, and the rather stunning theft (and subsequent enhancement) of tactics by the demons more than enough to keep things compelling. It's an even darker tale than the first two volumes, with stakes both grim and dire, yet there's a sense of hope that's entirely refreshing. Once again, though, there's an oddly impatient transition to the true climax of the story, with an abbreviated major confrontation, and a cliffhanger ending that is as brilliant as it is excruciatingly painful.

    Compelling, exciting, and thoroughly entertaining, The Daylight War is certain to please fans of the first two books. Even if it doesn't quite tell the story I expected, and denies us the fight we most desire until the very end, it's still a beautiful piece of storytelling.

    5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Sat Feb 16 00:00:00 EST 2013

    I couldn¿t finish this book and so I returned it to the booksto


    I couldn’t finish this book and so I returned it to the bookstore. As others have stated this book is another retelling of book one but with a focus on Inerva’s disgustingly sexually depraved background. I skipped or lightly scanned over reading at least 60 % of the book searching for plot development. There maybe 40 pages that move the plot forward and even with this it gave the reader very little new knowledge.

    I was particularly disgusted by the sexualization of pre puberty girls in this book. It was child porn and if it was a movie with real people, the FBI would be arresting the people who graphically used a marble dildoe on an 11-12 year girl and who trained pre-puberty girls to sexually please adult men. I ask Mr. Brett, are you that lacking in creativity that you cannot write something better? You can create a world with any rules you choose. In your world, you don’t have to continue to perpetuate the sexist, misogyny, and child porn tropes.

    Each book has included more misogyny than the last and book three is chock full of this.
    The Desert Spear is riddled with sexually explicit scenes. The only POV characters not engaged in sex or thinking about it are the corelings. I liked Arlen until he hooked up with ‘stupid as mud’ Renna and began their moronic relationship drama. All of the female character regardless of age are screwing both men and women or being raped. Even women only described in one scene get detailed descriptions of their breasts or voluptuous bodies. Women are just pieces of meat in the Demon Cycle.

    There are so many excellent fantasy authors out there who do not rely upon gratuitous sex and child porn to sell their books. Authors known to consistently develop interesting complex worlds, realistic characters and gripping plot lines that I do not have to waste my time or money on this particular author. If you want sex, misogyny and child porn then Peter Brett’s books will satisfy you.

    3 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Feb 13 00:00:00 EST 2013

    The first 2 books of the series introduced us to a young man who

    The first 2 books of the series introduced us to a young man who had been hurt by the world but learned to become a strong solo hero
    facing the evils of the world...  The protagonist demonstrated an admirable and strong solitude.  It was a page turner to see him develop
    and grow in strength as he faced a dangerous and violent world on his own terms.  
    This book takes away that person and introduces us in his place to a husband and wife team who spend page after page engaging
    in asinine conversations, sharing sappy "I love you"s and parading around as supposed reluctant heroes in an ill tempered
    and annoying fashion.  
    Reader beware.  The Warded Man makes no appearance in this book.  A neutered character with a thin veneer of crude personality
    and his annoying wife have taken his place. 

    3 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Tue Feb 12 00:00:00 EST 2013

    This is the most epic book I've read this year! The Daylight Wa

    This is the most epic book I've read this year!

    The Daylight War is the third book in Peter V. Brett’s Demon Cycle series. This is a novel with intensely deep characters, an exotically rich world, and a sweeping story. Mankind has been brought low by an unforeseen threat, demon like monsters that roam the world at night and who can only be harmed by sunlight and magic. For centuries the world has been at the mercy of these beasts, but the coming of the Deliverer has swung the tide of war back into the favor of man. Yet in this case, there are two deliverers, and mankind wages a war between them. Only one can win the Daylight War and lead them united against the demons of the night.




    First off, The Daylight War is not a book you would want to suddenly jump into. You’ll want to start with the first book in the series, The Warded Man (or The Painted Man for UK editions). Then you’ll want to read the second nook in the series, The Desert Spear. Both are outstanding novels. The Daylight War continues the wonder that Peter V. Brett weaved in the previous stories, while introducing new threats and fleshing out more characters. In The Desert Spear, readers were well rewarded with Jardir’s point of view, the man who would become supreme leader of the Krasian warrior society. In The Daylight War, we get to see his wife’s viewpoint, and a whole new side to the events that occurred in the previous novels. Inevra is very similar to Jardir in that she too is a very human character with very relatable ambitions and motivations. When first looked at, she appeared to be ruthless and untrustworthy. But when her side of things is revealed, that changes completely.




    Aside from Inevra’s story, Arlen, Rojer and Leesha’s stories continue. I think this would have to be the best I’ve seen Arlen so far in the series. Bringing Renna into the story was a masterstroke, and was just what Arlen needed to bring back his humanity and to balance him as a character. He’s now more awesome than ever, and with his new found magical powers, he’s practically a superman. Renna is no slouch either. As a new character stepping into the limelight, she’s almost as powerful a warrior as Arlen. Her addition to the adventure is indispensable. Rojer also gets his due with even more excitement and page time, so all his fans can eagerly look forward to some great stuff. Toss in the other characters (Leesha, Wonda, Gared, Jardir, Amman, etc) and you get quite a wonderful cast to lose yourself in.




    As for the story, there is a lot of preparation for the threat of the mind demons. Both Jardir and Arlen are preparing their sides for a coming conflict during the next new moon. Inevra’s POV means there are some flashback sections. About three quarters of the way in, the night battles start, and the book ends with a nice climactic battle which I will not spoil for you. I will say this, it’s a cliffhanger that will cause you to burst with emotion. Brett reveals just how devious of an author he is.




    With a beautifully rendered backstory for Inevra, and deeply portrayed characters that are easy to get lost in, The Daylight War is a truly great book. Brett’s storytelling is like stepping into a dream. It so easily captures your imagination and immerses you in another world and another life. I’d have to say this is the best book yet in the Demon Cycle. If you are looking for a great series, look no further. I give The Daylight War a five out of five.

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri Mar 22 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Good Read, can't wait for the next in the series

    I Enjoyed the book and can't wait for the next book to be released. The first 1/3 of the book was a bit of a recap of the events which occurred in the other books with a few new things added. At a few points I was wondering if I had already read this and just forgot. The main character seemed to revert back to a more rustic form of speaking then i recalled him using in the previous book. It made reading him a bit tedious at times, it did do justice to his character as he wanted to get back to his roots and be himself rather then the deliverer. The recap in the first part of the story did add to the overall book as the items covered did shed light on the motivations of the characters and the actions they took later on in the story. I enjoyed it and will be looking forward to the next installment.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Sun Mar 03 00:00:00 EST 2013

    I was very disappointed with book 3. As many people have stated,

    I was very disappointed with book 3. As many people have stated, this book is just book 1 re-done w/lots of sex. There is nothing original or interesting in this book. I wish I wouldn't have bought it. The characters have regressed & are 1 dimensional. It seems mr. Brett thought he was writing a fantasy porn book. Very, very disappointing. I was very suprised to see that other people rated this book so high, I wonder if they actually have READ the series as this 3rd book was nothing compared to the first two in the series. Leesha is NO longer a smart intelligent woman trying to save her people, but a woman who seems to fall into the bed of what ever man is available. Arlen & Renna might as well be 2 kids who just think about hunting demons & having sex when they aren't hunting. Rojer now has 2 wives & enjoys having sex & singing with them. Inevera instead of being a smart ambitious woman deteremined to save her world, really just uses sex to manipulate those around her. I was sadden to see all the characters reduced to porn stars. No wonder the demons look at humans as a food source.

    1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Tue Feb 12 00:00:00 EST 2013

    I just bought this book at midnight when it was released. The f

    I just bought this book at midnight when it was released. The first 25 pages are great.

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri Apr 26 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Extremely Recommended!

    THis is a good read, the way it was written was easy to follow.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Apr 10 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Very disappointing and the end isn't a cliffhanger; it's an abru

    Very disappointing and the end isn't a cliffhanger; it's an abrupt stop as if someone forgot to add the final chapter. Loved the first two books; not sure I'll bother with the next.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri Mar 29 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Awesome book

    Wish I had waited to read series until all the books are out. It is hard to wait until the others are done.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Mar 27 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Peter V. Brett delivers again

    A great mix of Jardir's world and Arlen's world. Definitely not a dull moment and the next demon trilogy book cannot come soon enough!

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Thu Mar 21 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Addicted

    Start with the warded Man and work your way through the existing trilogy... just be prepared to salivate waiting for the final two installations. Brett has created an amazing world filled with colorful and complicated characters, sometimes perplexing cultures and a frightening new set of rules for surviving in the new age.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Another great book!!

    Peter does it again!! Great book and an excellent series!!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    It's a great read, but misleading. The title states Daylight

    It's a great read, but misleading. The title states Daylight War. Expecting this I was waiting for the Daylight War to start up at any time.... It never happened, and was obvious it wasn't going to after some time. Still the elements that drew me to Brett's Novel's are still there. Fascinating, refreshing, Gritty, Brett delves into the sick fanaticism of Religions. If you just read this novel half cocked, and skimming through the pages, catching things out of context I can see people being upset. I say read the whole thing or not at all.

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  • Posted Sun Mar 10 00:00:00 EST 2013

    Awesome book! Takes the action up even one more level. Cannot

    Awesome book! Takes the action up even one more level. Cannot wait for the next/last book in the series.

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  • Posted Fri Mar 08 00:00:00 EST 2013

    Great addition to the story

    This story just keeps getting better. One of those that I will be sad to see end.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri Mar 08 00:00:00 EST 2013

    Great entry into an exceptional series

    The Demon Cycle series started off fantastic with the Warded Man and the Desert Spear. This entry follows the story of the main characters as before while expanding the back story of a few characters and their impact on the story so far. It isn't as good as the previous two but still a great and exciting read.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Mar 06 00:00:00 EST 2013

    Awesome!

    Loved reading this book. Couldn't put it down. Eagerly awaiting the next installment of the series!

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  • Posted Wed Mar 06 00:00:00 EST 2013

    SO GREAT I CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE

    SO GREAT I CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sat Mar 02 00:00:00 EST 2013

    DDOES NOT DOWNLOAD

    WHEN I BOUGTH IT, IT IS TAKE 3 DAYS AND COUNTING TO LOAD

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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