The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett

[aidan]

It was called The Demon Trilogy for quite awhile in parenthesis after the books' titles on amazon, B&N, tBD, etc. up to a few months after tDS came out. That must have been when Del Rey gave him the extended deal? Then it was switched over to The Demon Cycle.

From 2009, about a month before The Painted Man was released in North America:

The Desert Spear was plotted before I ever even tried to sell The Painted Man, and I am sticking to that plot quite closely. I also know the main plot of the last book in the series. I could make that book 3 if I really wanted, but I think it would do the characters, world, and story something of a disservice. I have no intention of creating a 10+ book series like Robert Jordan or Terry Goodkind, but my setting has a lot of avenues and characters I want to explore. I think if I closed the series in three books, the ending would feel rushed, and readers would miss out on a lot of stories I have to tell.

I have a rough outline planned for book three, which will be titled The Daylight War, and will focus further on humanity’s tendency to fight amongst ourselves even when demons are clawing at the door. I have many, many pages of notes for what comes next, but I haven’t yet arranged them into the final story arcs.

Seems fairly straight-forward, despite what Amazon thought.

[RedEyedGhost]

From 2009, about a month before The Painted Man was released in North America:

Seems fairly straight-forward, despite what Amazon thought.

Amazon, and every other online retailer. Obviously the word "trilogy" was at Del Rey's prompting, and not what the author said in a blog interview. Had it not done well then I'm sure it would have been a trilogy whether Brett wanted it to be or not.

[RedEyedGhost]

From the NYCC PV Brett talked about the forthcoming book, and it sounds like most of the Arlen and Jardir POV chapters will be at the end of the book:

It's not much more than in the interview from the other day, but I'll spoiler tag it because it does talk about the end of the book in the vaguest manner.

The main focus character for the third book is going to be Inevra, the wife of Ahmann Jardir. She's going to get the full childhood-to-adulthood POV treatment, then it's going to sync back up with regular events. Most of Jardir's action are going to be witnessed through her or through Gavin and most of Arlen's actions are going to be witnessed either through Leesha or Renna, until the end when Jardir and Arlen meet again for the first time, which is going to be a blast.

[Calibandar]

The next book is coming out in the US and UK in February, Amazon.com has the Del Rey release as well:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Daylight-War-Peter-Brett/dp/0345503821/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337448122&sr=1-5

[Jussi]

New plot synopsis for The Daylight War:

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 like 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 him 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.

http://www.randomhou...er-v-brett/book

[Calibandar]

Nice, and a good size as well at 768 pages.

[Crazydog7]

I just finished the first two on audible. I liked Desert Spear much better then the Painted Man the first book was just to similar to "In the name of the wind"

I don't dislike the concept but I'm just not looking forward to this the way I was to Red Country. With me it is more like "well read the first two might as well give the thrid a shot"

I'll reserve judgement until I have read the new one.

[Sci-2]

I couldn't even finish Book 2, but I am curious about the general arc of the story now. I'll flip through this at Barnes as skimming should be enough to slake my thirst for something I don't want to pay for.

[Castel]

I liked Painted Man, but Desert Spear was just bad for me.

Was it just me or did all the characters feel the constant need to shout at people? That seemed to be the most common form of conflict resolution. Just scream at people till they give up.

And then the titular Painted Man disappeared for a while and we had Leesha completely balloon into a...really, really imbalanced character.Good at everything, loved by everyone, able to get the barbaric warlord to try to change his evil ways with her will and goodness...ugh. Brett tries to write strong female characters and point out the problems with the world but this one was just OTT. All of his characters are Stus to one level or another but the fact that this book was focused more on her adventures really made her stand out.

And then there are some moments that are just infuriating that I don't know that I if I can hold the author accountable for. Leesha falling for said evil barbarian warlord, listening to her mother's advice, forgiving her rapist and feeling guilty that she drugged him to prevent him from raping her. *bangs head on desk*

[Crazydog7]

That happened with Jadir as well. Raped as a child (ok when you kill a demon your a man, but still) he got back at the guy once but then after that one incident it is never mentioned agian, the guy who did it even became a close member of his inner circle.

[Calibandar]

I've read a review or two as well as the Amazon excerpt and I'm fairly sure I will hold off getting this.

The reviews do seem to indicate that Inivera's story will be covered very extensively indeed, and along much the same lines as Jardir''s in book two. It looks like more tedium than I can handle, as do the references to Arlen becoming some sort of hillbilly speaker.

[Inigima]

This is our general purpose Peter Brett thread these days, right? The Daylight War is coming out this Tuesday, February 12, on Kindle as well as physical book.

[lessthanluke]

I will be picking it up.

[YellowDogJen]

Oh, I suppose I'll pick it up - I read the other two. They held my interest at least, but I'm not all that excited about 'em.

[AncalagonTheBlack]

I couldn't even finish Book 2, but I am curious about the general arc of the story now. I'll flip through this at Barnes as skimming should be enough to slake my thirst for something I don't want to pay for.

Then you'll probably not like book 3 as well -

Which ties it all up to my initial response: if you liked the first two books, nothing I’ve said about the third will dissuade you from reading it. You’ve already had rapiness, perpetual womb-talk and evil foreigners enslavin’ our children and takin’ our wimmenfolk into their hay-rems. There’s nothing worse in this book, so if you’ve come this far… Enjoy.

http://www.pornokits...er-v-brett.html

[Sci-2]

Just saw that pornoskitch review. My taste leans toward books with realistic characters and a bit less misogyny.

If this was a movie the sexism might reach so-bad-it[']s-good levels of utter hilariousness, but I'm [not] slogging through printed words to get my chuckle on.

[Castel]

I think it's fascinating, because Brett seems to think that he's empowering women. Arlen disappears for most of the second book and reappears to teach his female sidekick to fight,, Leesha becomes the power in some of the small towns where she lives and manages to hook the big bad barbarian Jadir, Inevera pretty much completely determines the path of Jadir's life. And Renna was being set up to be as strong as Arlen while there were hints that Arlen was fading away.And yet all of them are driven by those men anyway. Inevera I can forgive, I don't think that being completely dedicated in the face of a prophecy from your God is easy to attack in isolation (it's kind of similar to Mimara forgiving her rapist,it's icky but perhaps internally consistent) it's the pattern. There was a chance of this turning out differently by the end of the last book I think, but apparently Brett couldn't help himself.

I don't know if it's deliberate or he just slipped into it but it's interesting that when one tries to empower women they end up doing it in a way that is no threat to the male ego.

[Darth Richard]

I am not enthused. Loved the first book until it turned into The Rape Show. The second book was just Season 2 of The Rape Show(And I actually liked it at first, but it's one of those books, the more you think about it, the more you go, "wtf was I smoking?". Not enthused. Plus fake hillbilly talk drives me INSANE.

[Calibandar]

I am not enthused. Loved the first book until it turned into The Rape Show. The second book was just Season 2 of The Rape Show(And I actually liked it at first, but it's one of those books, the more you think about it, the more you go, "wtf was I smoking?". Not enthused. Plus fake hillbilly talk drives me INSANE.

And that hillibilly talk is stepped up big time in the 3rd book according to reviews.

In fact, the first chapter of the book is online and it already contains a great deal of it, and is indeed very irritating. Maybe's Brett's just lost it.

[Rorshach]

I enjoyed the first book - but hated the second. For reasons mentioned often here..

I won't pick up the third book.