Mortalis (DemonWars) [Mass Market Paperback]

R.A. Salvatore (Author)

Book Description

Series: DemonWars | Publication Date: April 3, 2001

The long struggle is over at last. The demon dactyl is no more, its dark sorceries shattered by the gemstone magic wielded by the woman known as Pony. But victory did not come easily. Many lives were lost, including Pony’s lover, the elf-trained ranger Elbryan Wynden.

Despite the dactyl’s demise, the kingdom still seethes in the same cauldron of plots and machinations. But when a deadly sickness suddenly appears among the people of Corona, Pony must undertake a pilgrimage that will test her powers–and her faith–as never before. Watching her every step of the way is the man she hates above all else: Marcalo De’Unnero, the villain responsible for Elbryan’s death . . . who would desire nothing more than to lead Pony down that same treacherous path to destruction.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Setting aside his wildly popular Forgotten Realms books for the moment, Bob Salvatore continues to wade into his character-development-heavy Demon Wars saga with this meaty kickoff to the latest DW series. If you're familiar with the series (and if you're not, start with The Demon Awakens), you know that this ain't Icewind Dale. The generously developed characters take center stage, and they--much to our initial dismay, perhaps--are far from invincible. (More than a few hearts were broken when Elbryan the Nightbird, Touel'alfar-trained ranger extraordinaire, bit the dust in the last book, Demon Apostle.)

Mortalis shifts the spotlight to fearsome gemstone-wielder Jilseponie (a.k.a. Pony), who's got to decide just what path to take in the wake of Markwart/Bestesbulzibar's defeat and the death of her beloved ranger hubby. Should she take over the Abellican church as Mother Abbess? Or should she take King Danube's offer to be Baroness of Palmaris? Or perhaps her grief-tinged destiny lies along another path. Countless goblins still require a firm beating down, the ranks of the Abellicans are far from content, and a virulent plague threatens to kill off even more characters. What's a Pony to do? --Paul Hughes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

This hefty fantasy by bestselling author Salvatore (The Witch's Daughter), which launches a new Demon Wars saga, finds the beautiful and powerful gemstone-mage, Pony, grieving for her lost husband, Elbryan. She also faces a major decision: to become mother abbess of the Abellican Church, or to accept King Danube's offer to make her a baroness and secular ruler? Pony agonizes over whether to stand with the church and fight its corruption or to help the king restore order to a shattered kingdom; she opts to travel to her homeland to ponder. Thus, with no demons to kill, the saga starts off detailing the power struggle between church and state. There is a new enemy to defeat in the land of Corona, howeverDa goblin-spread plague that is the deadly legacy of Bestesbulzibar, the evil "demon dactyl" who has already been killed off three times (once in each volume of the first Demon Wars trilogy). Filled with far more angst than action, this volume still contains enough adventure (including, finally, a magical battle against a tigerish monster) to keep it moving at a happy pace. But for fans looking to vicariously shed the blood of evil goblins, fomorians (giants) and powries (dwarves), this may not be enough. And readers with a more mature perspective might find greater enjoyment and similar conflicts in any well-written medieval history. 6-city author tour.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (April 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345430425
• ISBN-13: 978-0345430427
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.2 x 7.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #569,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

R.A. Salvatore has spent so many years winding himself into fantasy worlds that he's still trying to figure out how to unwind. He is the author of more than forty novels and more than a dozen New York Times best sellers, including The Two Swords, which debuted at or near the top of many best seller lists.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Salvatore's Continuing Epic, July 21, 2000

By 

William P. Hightower (Pensacola, Fl USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mortalis (The Demonwars Saga) (Hardcover)

This, in my opinion, is R. A. Salvatore's best work. I will grant that it is not his best-written work, and that I did notice the overuse of the word pragmatic, however; all of this aside, the story is simply amazing. RAS takes the world of Corona into a new, and more mature realm. We are done with the cut-and-clear battles between good and evil and have moved to the realms of morality and inner-struggle. Of character development, and new beginnings. Mr. Salvatore has put his heart and soul into this work (having written it during a very harsh time in his life) This is why there is a grainy, choppy, and unfinished feel to this book (as some reviewers have pointed out) If anything, these qualities enhance the true meaning of the book, but only if one looks into the story. Gone is the heroic world of Elbryan- Nightbird, and left is the new threat from the seeds of the Demon Dactyl. Corona is a larger world by far by the end of Mortalis, and a much more interesting place. I thank Mr. Salvatore for sharing his pain through this masterful work of fantasy.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new Beginning!, July 9, 2000

By 

NightChade (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mortalis (The Demonwars Saga) (Hardcover)

I almost never post reviews for books anymore, but after reading Mortalis, I just had to. This book has proven to me, beyond the shadow a doubt, that Fantasy has earned the right to be on everyone's bookshelf, and Mr. Salvatore is one of the main reasons. This is not your average hack and slasher, this book is for all the fantasy fans out there who are searching for more. Hey, I love Hack and slash, but don't you get tired of the good guys winning all the time...oops, did I say to much? Seriously, this book draws you in and leaves you yearning for more. I have always been a fan of Mr Salvatore and this book really reminds me why. His writing has grown with his audience and that fact is especially evident in this book. Personally, I cannot wait to read the next one! You have to get this book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Salvatore's best yet, September 17, 2000

By 

"mmcutter" (Mays Landing, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mortalis (The Demonwars Saga) (Hardcover)

Mortalis continues the sweeping epic Salvatore started in the Demon Wars Trilogy, and sets the stage for further adventures in his world of Corona. There is enough action and intrigue to satisfy most adventure fans, but this is a deeper book. This is a book that examines the responsibility of organized religion to the people it serves; a book that questions who is saint and who is heretic; a book that takes a hopeful look at miracles, and a cynical look at the traditions that religious leaders hide behind, a book that decries the apparant futility of fighting an evil that will eventually just reappear in one form or another. It is a journey that many of us have made ourselves; and - while you will find few clear-cut answers here - Mortalis will give you renewed hope in our world as it takes you deep within the world Salvatore has created so vividly.