• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780345503817
• ISBN-13: 978-0345503817

Synopsis: As the Warded Man works tirelessly to spread the knowledge of the lost Battle Wards to the people of the North, another enemy rises in the South. Jardir, once true friend of The Warded Man, has risen to power as the Shar’Dama Ka, the Deliverer of Man. He is determined to conquer the Northern world and enlist every able bodied man and boy in his holy war against the elemental demons that have plagued the world since a time long forgotten. But his path to ascension is challenged by the Warded Man who wishes that men remain free and retain the right to use the Battle Wards as they see fit.

And there is another problem: the people of the North see The Warded Man as The Deliverer, and until he lies dead at Jardir’s feet, the Northerners will not accept him as their savior. What Jardir doesn’t know is that the Warded Man is actually Arlen Bales, the friend he betrayed and left for dead in the harsh Krasian desert several years ago. But the Warded Man has not forgotten, and the only thing he hates more than the demons, is the friend who tried to murder him for power.

He fought hard as the dal’Sharum fell upon him, breaking bones, but refusing, even now, to kill men. Jardir stayed out of the fray, consumed by his shame. Finally, it was done, the Par’Chin held tight by Hasik and Shanjat as Jardir bent to pick up the spear. Immediately he felt its power and a sense of belonging as his fingers tightened about the haft. Indeed it was the weapon of Kaji, whose seventh son had been the first Jardir.

“I am truly sorry, my friend,” he said. “I wish there could be another way.”

“The Par’chin spat in his face. “Everam is watching your betrayal!”

Jardir felt a flash of anger. The Par’chin did not believe in Heaven, but he was willing to use the Creator’s name when it suited his purposes. He had no wives or children, no ties to family or tribe, but he thought he knew what was best for all. His arrogance knew no bounds.

“Do not speak of Everam, chin,” Jardir said. “I am his Sharum Ka, not you. Without me, Krasia falls.”

The Desert Spear is the sequel to Peter V. Brett‘s The Warded Man, and the second book in the Demon Trilogy. When I read The Warded Man, I was blown away by Brett’s creativity and his prose. It was easily one of the greatest fantasy books I’d read in the last 5 years, and I eagerly awaited the sequel. But time has a way of fading one’s memory, and The Desert Spear‘s release came and I didn’t get around to it right away. I had a lot on my plate, different stuff to read, etc. A couple weeks ago, I finally committed to reading it, and was pretty much instantly blown away all over again.

The Desert Spear begins with giving us the origin story of Jardir. We see him grow up in his Arabic-inspired culture and walk the path to become the warrior we get a glimpse of in The Warded Man. Because this novel starts out as an origin story we get a bit of a new perspective of events that have already transpired. We see that Jardir is a deeply religious man, who is fiercely loyal to what is best for his people, but even he is caught up in events that he’s not always in control of.  I like to see what others have to say about a book before I begin to put down my own thoughts. A lot of fans out there complained that The Desert Spear is too long, that it spends too much time on Jardir before getting back to Arlen, who was the main character of the first novel.

It’s true, we don’t get back to Arlen (The Warded Man), Leesha, and Rojer until 1/3 of the way through the book. But that’s not a bad thing. It’s important that we understand Jardir as a character, because Brett has given us a novel of true substance here. The story in this chapter of the Demon Trilogy is not about killing demons, or conquering nations. It’s a story of two men who are very similar, but irreconcilable at the same time. Arlen is like Jardir in that they live to fight the Corelings. For a while they grew to respect one another, even love one another as brothers by forging bonds in battle.

But the culture clash prevents a true reconciliation of their characters. They become avatars of freedom vs. faith. Arlen thinks the Battle Wards should be given freely to the world, so that men can use them as they best see fit. He sees the fight against the Corelings as something to be taken up by those willing to fight; The Wards are meant to protect the weak and make strong those who are willing, but he has no grand designs. His goals are pragmatic. Jardir only sees the Wards as a means to bring about a holy war that will eventually end in a Heaven-on-Earth scenario. In this he’s an avatar for faith, albeit an overzealous one.

“How are we to know you’re really the Deliverer?” Jeorje asked.

“Like I said, Tender,” the Warded Man said, “I ent. Just a Messenger.”

“The Messenger of whom?” Jeorje asked.

The Warded Man hesitated, seeing the trap. If he said no one, many would assume it was because he was a Messenger of the Creator. His best choice would be to name Euchor as his patron. Tibbet’s Brook was technically part of Miln, and the people would assume the combat wards were a gift of his. Be he promised he would speak honest word.

“No patron for this message,” he admitted. “Found the wards in a ruin of the old world, and took it upon myself to spread them to all good folk, so we can start fighting back.”

“The Plague cannot end without the coming of the Deliverer,” Jeorje said, as if the Warded Man were caught in a logic trap.

But the Warded Man simply shrugged, handing Jeorje a warded spear. “Could be it’s you. Kill a demon and find out.”

Brett does a good job illustrating the importance of faith as a unifying force, while being wary of getting mired in religious dogma. Even though the Warded Man denies the claims, people WANT him to be the Deliverer. Faith is important to both cultures, but unlike Jardir, The Warded Man refuses to be a symbol for people to rally around. It’s fundamental to him that people don’t bend to anyone’s will but their own. He would instead have them believe in themselves and the power that they hold in their own hands.

Overall, The Desert Spear is a stronger than its predecessor. The characters are incredibly visceral and the ideas of Brett’s fantasy are still fresh. But if Brett’s intention was to split the camp between Arlen and Jardir, I think he failed. After immersing the reader in Jardir’s world for 1/3 of the book, I feel as though I understand his character better, but he doesn’t deserve much sympathy.

I give The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett Four out of Five Stars.

 

 

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