Transcendence

April 22, 2002
Following 2001's Ascendance, bestseller Salvatore continues his Second DemonWars Saga with a thoughtful look at the making of a war leader. Brynn Dharielle, elf-trained ranger and onetime schoolmate of Aydrian Wyndon, seeks to liberate her homeland, To-gai, from the invading theocrats of Behren—the priests of Yatol and their elite troops, the Chezhou-Lei. But a cause being just doesn't make it easily attainable. Brynn must wage war, and in the process she must answer the probing questions of Pagonel, the Jhesta Tu mystic, who asks what the price of freedom really is. Having brought the dragon Agradeleous out of its lair, she has to promise it sport in the form of destroying Behrenese settlements. When she attacks the cities of Behren, she must decide whether to spare or to spoil their land as they have pillaged To-gai. The author displays a deeper understanding of motivation and emotional development than most commercial fantasists. From a simple warrior, Brynn becomes a skilled negotiator, making compromises to turn former enemies into future allies. Her actions are portrayed within the greater context of Salvatore's world, where warfare blends into politics, politics into religion, religion into morality. At the end, the nomadic To-gai-ru win not by arms alone but by Brynn playing the internal divisions of Behren against themselves. Because Salvatore expands the internal lives of his characters beyond the usual questlike narrative, his book gains a welcome bit of depth. (May 1)Forecast:An author tour that ties in with the promotion of Salvatore's
forthcoming Star Wars: The Attack of the Clones should help ensure another run up bestseller lists.

May 15, 2002
Trained as a ranger by the winged elves known as the Touel'alfar, Brynn Dharielle sets out for her conquered homeland of To-gai, which she intends to liberate from its Behrenese occupiers. Brynn's encounters with creatures from the world's ancient past as well as her discovery of allies in the most unlikely places force her to realize just what her dreams of revolution mean for herself and for her homeland. The sequel to Ascendance illustrates Salvatore's gift for combining swiftly paced, action-filled adventure with mature storytelling and engaging characters. A strong addition to the author's growing body of work and a good choice for most fantasy collections. Rucker, Rudy. Spaceland.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2002
The second book of the second DemonWars saga goes off on a tangent to the adventures of the Wyndon family--Ellbryan, Jillseponie, and their disturbed but able son, Aydrian. It focuses on Brynn Dharielle, beginning as she finishes ranger training with the elves. Overcoming the barriers to that goal, she moves on to reconciling the elves who trained her with their dark cousins. And just to keep busy, she strives thereafter to liberate her homeland, Behren, from tyrant Yakim Douan and establish peace between the Behrenese and their various neighbors. This novel very nearly stands alone and apart from the rest of the saga, and it possesses most of the virtues that are making DemonWars Salvatore's outstanding work. The world building is standard but intelligent, the knowledge of history and military science on display is sound, and Brynn Dharielle is a first-rate female high-fantasy protagonist. Of course, saga followers will now want to see what King Aydrian has been up to. They will just have to wait 'til next year.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)