Mortalis (The Demonwars)

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.

Sojourn has always been my favorite Salvatore book, but Mortalis may soon take replace it. The power and emotion in the words of this text are unbelievable. Also, Salvatore has once again delved into deep philosophical questions in a way that forces you to ponder the questions as well. It is clear that Mr. Salvatore poored his heart and soul into this book and I recommend it to any who come across this review.

When i first picked up this book i knew it was going to be something different from the typical Salvatore fare. If you ahve read the Demon Apostle you knwo what i mean. Main characters die, the wrong people get hurt, and bad things happen all the time. Not exactly the same as the Forgotten Realms novels where all the main characters are pretty much alive and well. Heck, even Wulfgar came back. This piece though, it has so much emotion and raw passion put into the writing its hard not to respect it for what it is, not a fantasy novel but a true piece of literature. I have always held the Demonwars Series in higher regard than most other series, but this book blows even that away. It is clear upon reading it, that this is Salvatores own creation, not some D & D'esque adventure where you can almost hear the dice rolling in the background. I advise any Salvatore fan out there to pick up a copy NOW, and if you arent a Salvatore fan, it will be hard not to be after reading this. Ill admit, i was skeptical about this book, considering the main character died in the last one, but Pony makes a great protagonist and the narrative is top notch. Check it out.

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.

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!