What do you think?
Rate this book
The DemonWars Saga #1
The Demon Awakens
In The Demon Awakens, bestselling author R. A. Salvatore creates an astonishing new world for readers to explore--and an intrepid hero to lead the Elbryan Wynden, who must confront the dark tides of destiny in his epic search for justice and peace . . .
A great evil has awakened in the land of Corona, a terrible demon determined to spread death and misery. His goblin armies and fearsome giants ravage the settlements of the frontier, and in the small village of Dundallis their merciless attack leaves behind two shattered Pony and her lifelong friend, the youth Elbryan. Taken in by elves, Elbryan is raised to become a formidable ranger--a fateful role that will lead him into harrowing confrontation.
Meanwhile, on a far-off island, a shower of gemstones will fall onto the black sand shores. These heaven-sent stones carry within them an incredible power--the key to all that is good in the world and all that is evil, and it is up to one young monk to liberate them from the corrupt monastery that harvests them. Pray that they don't fall into the wrong, clawed hands . . .
A great evil has awakened in the land of Corona, a terrible demon determined to spread death and misery. His goblin armies and fearsome giants ravage the settlements of the frontier, and in the small village of Dundallis their merciless attack leaves behind two shattered Pony and her lifelong friend, the youth Elbryan. Taken in by elves, Elbryan is raised to become a formidable ranger--a fateful role that will lead him into harrowing confrontation.
Meanwhile, on a far-off island, a shower of gemstones will fall onto the black sand shores. These heaven-sent stones carry within them an incredible power--the key to all that is good in the world and all that is evil, and it is up to one young monk to liberate them from the corrupt monastery that harvests them. Pray that they don't fall into the wrong, clawed hands . . .
606 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
569 people are currently reading
5274 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Salvatore
606 books11.2k followersAs one of the fantasy genre’s most successful authors, R.A. Salvatore enjoys an ever-expanding and tremendously loyal following. His books regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists and have sold more than 10,000,000 copies. Salvatore’s original hardcover, The Two Swords, Book III of The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy (October 2004) debuted at # 1 on The Wall Street Journal best-seller list and at # 4 on The New York Times best-seller list. His books have been translated into numerous foreign languages including German, Italian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, and French.
Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...
Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
January 6, 2015
Buddy-Read with the most wonderful Branwen!
Dave's Quick Judgement -
THE DEFENSE
- The three main characters are all fascinating in their own unique ways.
- Salvatore's writing has matured, resulting in more depth than his previous work.
- Salvatore's ability to write beautifully detailed action sequences extends to all aspects of the book this time around.
- Book never stops being exciting from the first page to the last.
- Enough humor is mixed in with the drama to make the book both fun and gripping to read.
THE PROSECUTION
- The main villain's actions don't make a whole lot of sense at times.
- Some readers may be put off by the exploration of religious themes throughout the novel.
- "Ho, ho, what!" Avelyn must say that at least 800 times throughout the novel. Seriously! If anything, I'm lowballing that number!
THE VERDICT
While I've enjoyed much of R.A. Salvatore's previous work, additional depth and multiple themes being explored make "The Demon Awakens" my favorite work by him yet!
Dave's Much-Wordier Review
Elbryan, the ranger
Even at the age of 12, Elbryan Wyndon was already concerned with protecting his people. After a goblin is found near his home village of Dundalis, Elbyran tasks himself with keeping a lookout so he can warn the villagers of any potential threats. The villagers humor Elbryan, believing him to simply have an overactive imagination. But humor quickly turns to horror when a goblin army does indeed invade Dundalis, mercilessly slaughtering the villagers who foolishly wrote off Elbryan's warnings. Seemingly the sole survivor of the attack, Elbryan is discovered by a society of elves who take the young man in. There, Elbyran discovers a new world, a world full of enchantment, wonder, and most of all, purpose. Years later, Elbryan returns to the place of his childhood, once again determined to keep the villagers safe from harm, and once again finding himself the subject of ridicule from the very people he swore to protect. But with an ancient evil having awakened and sending a monstrous army to enslave all in its path, Elbryan will defend his people whether they want his help or not...
It's been said nice guys finish last...that must be why Elbryan isn't finished yet!
Jilseponie, the fighter
Jilseponie was known as "Pony" by her friends, but after a goblin army lays waste to her home of Dundalis, Pony now believes all her friends are gone. A lost soul unable to come to terms with the cruelty fate subjected her to, Pony wanders through a world that is now uncertain and terrifying to her. Refusing to ever be a victim again, Pony claws and scrapes her way through this new world, learning how to fight, and more importantly, how to fight back! Eventually, Pony encounters a man known as "The Mad Friar". This man describes a great evil that is poisoning the land and warns of a terrible attack that is coming, an attack that sounds all too familiar to the young woman. With an invading army marching towards her, an army made up of thousands of goblins and dwarves and giants, Jilseponie responds to the overwhelming numbers and impossible odds in the only way she knows how...she fights back!
Many people resign themselves to whatever fate has in store for them...Jilseponie prefers her fate to be self-written!
Avelyn, the believer
Raised to put all his trust in God, Avelyn joined a monastery at a young age. Through hours of discipline and training, Avelyn is able to utilize the magical properties of the sacred stones of his religion, stones that are believed to be a gift from God. Due to the strength of his abilities and his faith, Avelyn is charged with a holy mission, to procure the magical gemstones that are falling from the Heavens themselves. But in trying to obtain the magical rocks, Avelyn sees a darker side to the religious Order he put so much trust in, a side that is willing to sacrifice and even murder anyone to keep these sacred stones out of anyone's hands but their own. Avelyn discovers that his monastery is not being guided by God, but rather by something that is the complete opposite. Realizing that a demon dactyl has woken up and is now corrupting the lives of everyone around him, Avelyn prepares to defend the world from the very people claiming to want to save it!
He was taught to believe in God...now Avelyn must learn to believe in himself!
Since Branwen and I first met each other while discussing an R.A. Salvatore book, we decided to go back to the very author who originally brought us together for our latest buddy read! As the lovely Branwen clearly looks like a warrior princess in her profile picture, in order to keep the theme going, I decided to adopt the look of a knight while reading this book, so I put on my finest suit of metal...
I...I don't think I'm doing it right...
To simply say I enjoyed this book would be like saying the sun is kind of warm. The truth is, I was completely blown away by this novel. While I have enjoyed the works of R.A. Salvatore in the past, I can't deny that there is a certain simplicity to his earlier works. The Drizzt novels are certainly a fun read, but there's no denying they often fall into the trap of "McFantasy", trotting out the same fantasy tropes that have already been used hundreds of times before. The Sword Of Bedwyr was an even greater offender of overly-simplistic writing, where the main character pretty much finds the magical artifact that leads to him becoming the Crimson Shadow entirely by chance. Indeed, the way Salvatore characters just happened to stumble upon the very thing they need is so convenient, it harkens back to the early days of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when enemies would often be held in the library, because apparently all high school libraries have cages these days...
OK, Whedon, I'll let you off the hook for this...but not for Dollhouse! Never for Dollhouse...
But in "The Demon Awakens", Salvatore's writing has become much more ambitious. Clocking in at over 600 pages (about twice as long as any of his early Drizzt novels), Salvatore spends much more time developing the backstories for the main three characters. And this ambition pays off big-time. Because the characters have so much depth and pathos to them, they resonated with me in a way his previous creations (yes, even Drizzt) never did. This larger scale applies not only to the characters, but to the story as well. While Salvatore's past work often follows a pattern of having the heroes "walk, fight, repeat", this time around the story is much more diverse and unpredictable. For part of the novel, Elbryan, Pony and Avelyn all find themselves going in different directions, and I truly didn't know where their journeys would take them at times. Along with the more traditional "sword and sorcery" aspects of the fantasy novel, Salvatore also takes an opportunity to explore religious themes, addressing both the good and the bad that is done in the name of a deity.
While Salvatore's writing may have matured, that doesn't mean he didn't deliver on some things he could always be counted on in the past. One thing I've always admired about his work is the way Salvatore can so beautifully describe action sequences, to the point where you more feel like you're watching the fight instead of reading about it. Salvatore's incredibly detailed fight scenes are in full force again this time around, but in addition, his fluid descriptions extend to the very setting itself. Everything in the book is beautifully detailed, from the lights in the sky to the joy of a first kiss. And despite all the tragedy that befalls our heroes from time to time, Salvatore's trademark humor offers some much-needed comic relief at just the right moments. With such detail, excitement, drama, and humor, I can honestly say I was not bored once in all 600+ pages.
Now, while this wasn't a deal breaker for me, there was one minor nitpick that I had with the story, and this was in regards to the lead villain. Quite frankly, the demon dactyl's actions sometimes didn't make sense to me. It is implied throughout much of the book that the demon is growing stronger as his influence is growing, so I didn't find it odd that he spent so much time behind the scenes. But then later in the book, he is seen flying throughout the land and tracking some of his enemies. So it seems odd when, after displaying these abilities, the demon simply tasks his minions to track the heroes for him and goes back to sitting on the sidelines. The book explains the demon's behavior by stating that he is so confident, he doesn't feel the need to confront his enemies directly, but once the heroes keep defeating his soldiers and interrupting his plans, you would think the demon would just seek the heroes out himself and destroy them once and for all (especially since we're lead to believe he's pretty much all-powerful by this point). It reminded me of the Thomas Jane "Punisher" movie (yes, I sat through "The Punisher"...don't judge me! Actually, go ahead, I deserve to be judged for that!), in which the lead villain's assassins kept coming at the Punisher one at a time, which begged the question, "Why the hell don't they just send everyone at him if they know where he is?!?" Well, actually it begged the question, "Why the hell am I still watching this?!?"
The Punisher...punishing audiences three movies in a row now!
Still, when I'm having this much fun reading a book, I'm willing to forgive a loophole like this. Now, since I love my GoodReads friends and followers, I feel obligated to point out a potential problem some of you may also have with this novel. Readers who don't like getting peanut butter in their chocolate may also not enjoy the exploration of religious themes. Granted, the religion in this case is one unique to the novel's setting of Corona, but all the talk of a monotheistic God could be frustrating to people who would rather not have religion mixed in with their literature. Also, one final grievance I had, and that would be Avelyn's catchphrase of "ho, ho, what"! I admit, I kind of liked it at first, but when it gets to the point where Avelyn incorporates it into just about every single conversation he has, it did grate on my nerves after a while. It was possibly a mistake for me to read this so close to Christmas, since now I cringe so much from hearing "Ho ho", I'm liable to punch a store-Santa in the face! Just kidding, kids, Santa abuse is never cool!
Fans of Salvatore's earlier works will most likely love this one as well. And if you didn't like Salvatore's prior work, this one may just make a fan out of you. Recommended for any fantasy-lover!
Dave's Quick Judgement -
THE DEFENSE
- The three main characters are all fascinating in their own unique ways.
- Salvatore's writing has matured, resulting in more depth than his previous work.
- Salvatore's ability to write beautifully detailed action sequences extends to all aspects of the book this time around.
- Book never stops being exciting from the first page to the last.
- Enough humor is mixed in with the drama to make the book both fun and gripping to read.
THE PROSECUTION
- The main villain's actions don't make a whole lot of sense at times.
- Some readers may be put off by the exploration of religious themes throughout the novel.
- "Ho, ho, what!" Avelyn must say that at least 800 times throughout the novel. Seriously! If anything, I'm lowballing that number!
THE VERDICT
While I've enjoyed much of R.A. Salvatore's previous work, additional depth and multiple themes being explored make "The Demon Awakens" my favorite work by him yet!
Dave's Much-Wordier Review
Elbryan, the ranger
Even at the age of 12, Elbryan Wyndon was already concerned with protecting his people. After a goblin is found near his home village of Dundalis, Elbyran tasks himself with keeping a lookout so he can warn the villagers of any potential threats. The villagers humor Elbryan, believing him to simply have an overactive imagination. But humor quickly turns to horror when a goblin army does indeed invade Dundalis, mercilessly slaughtering the villagers who foolishly wrote off Elbryan's warnings. Seemingly the sole survivor of the attack, Elbryan is discovered by a society of elves who take the young man in. There, Elbyran discovers a new world, a world full of enchantment, wonder, and most of all, purpose. Years later, Elbryan returns to the place of his childhood, once again determined to keep the villagers safe from harm, and once again finding himself the subject of ridicule from the very people he swore to protect. But with an ancient evil having awakened and sending a monstrous army to enslave all in its path, Elbryan will defend his people whether they want his help or not...
It's been said nice guys finish last...that must be why Elbryan isn't finished yet!
Jilseponie, the fighter
Jilseponie was known as "Pony" by her friends, but after a goblin army lays waste to her home of Dundalis, Pony now believes all her friends are gone. A lost soul unable to come to terms with the cruelty fate subjected her to, Pony wanders through a world that is now uncertain and terrifying to her. Refusing to ever be a victim again, Pony claws and scrapes her way through this new world, learning how to fight, and more importantly, how to fight back! Eventually, Pony encounters a man known as "The Mad Friar". This man describes a great evil that is poisoning the land and warns of a terrible attack that is coming, an attack that sounds all too familiar to the young woman. With an invading army marching towards her, an army made up of thousands of goblins and dwarves and giants, Jilseponie responds to the overwhelming numbers and impossible odds in the only way she knows how...she fights back!
Many people resign themselves to whatever fate has in store for them...Jilseponie prefers her fate to be self-written!
Avelyn, the believer
Raised to put all his trust in God, Avelyn joined a monastery at a young age. Through hours of discipline and training, Avelyn is able to utilize the magical properties of the sacred stones of his religion, stones that are believed to be a gift from God. Due to the strength of his abilities and his faith, Avelyn is charged with a holy mission, to procure the magical gemstones that are falling from the Heavens themselves. But in trying to obtain the magical rocks, Avelyn sees a darker side to the religious Order he put so much trust in, a side that is willing to sacrifice and even murder anyone to keep these sacred stones out of anyone's hands but their own. Avelyn discovers that his monastery is not being guided by God, but rather by something that is the complete opposite. Realizing that a demon dactyl has woken up and is now corrupting the lives of everyone around him, Avelyn prepares to defend the world from the very people claiming to want to save it!
He was taught to believe in God...now Avelyn must learn to believe in himself!
Since Branwen and I first met each other while discussing an R.A. Salvatore book, we decided to go back to the very author who originally brought us together for our latest buddy read! As the lovely Branwen clearly looks like a warrior princess in her profile picture, in order to keep the theme going, I decided to adopt the look of a knight while reading this book, so I put on my finest suit of metal...
I...I don't think I'm doing it right...
To simply say I enjoyed this book would be like saying the sun is kind of warm. The truth is, I was completely blown away by this novel. While I have enjoyed the works of R.A. Salvatore in the past, I can't deny that there is a certain simplicity to his earlier works. The Drizzt novels are certainly a fun read, but there's no denying they often fall into the trap of "McFantasy", trotting out the same fantasy tropes that have already been used hundreds of times before. The Sword Of Bedwyr was an even greater offender of overly-simplistic writing, where the main character pretty much finds the magical artifact that leads to him becoming the Crimson Shadow entirely by chance. Indeed, the way Salvatore characters just happened to stumble upon the very thing they need is so convenient, it harkens back to the early days of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when enemies would often be held in the library, because apparently all high school libraries have cages these days...
OK, Whedon, I'll let you off the hook for this...but not for Dollhouse! Never for Dollhouse...
But in "The Demon Awakens", Salvatore's writing has become much more ambitious. Clocking in at over 600 pages (about twice as long as any of his early Drizzt novels), Salvatore spends much more time developing the backstories for the main three characters. And this ambition pays off big-time. Because the characters have so much depth and pathos to them, they resonated with me in a way his previous creations (yes, even Drizzt) never did. This larger scale applies not only to the characters, but to the story as well. While Salvatore's past work often follows a pattern of having the heroes "walk, fight, repeat", this time around the story is much more diverse and unpredictable. For part of the novel, Elbryan, Pony and Avelyn all find themselves going in different directions, and I truly didn't know where their journeys would take them at times. Along with the more traditional "sword and sorcery" aspects of the fantasy novel, Salvatore also takes an opportunity to explore religious themes, addressing both the good and the bad that is done in the name of a deity.
While Salvatore's writing may have matured, that doesn't mean he didn't deliver on some things he could always be counted on in the past. One thing I've always admired about his work is the way Salvatore can so beautifully describe action sequences, to the point where you more feel like you're watching the fight instead of reading about it. Salvatore's incredibly detailed fight scenes are in full force again this time around, but in addition, his fluid descriptions extend to the very setting itself. Everything in the book is beautifully detailed, from the lights in the sky to the joy of a first kiss. And despite all the tragedy that befalls our heroes from time to time, Salvatore's trademark humor offers some much-needed comic relief at just the right moments. With such detail, excitement, drama, and humor, I can honestly say I was not bored once in all 600+ pages.
Now, while this wasn't a deal breaker for me, there was one minor nitpick that I had with the story, and this was in regards to the lead villain. Quite frankly, the demon dactyl's actions sometimes didn't make sense to me. It is implied throughout much of the book that the demon is growing stronger as his influence is growing, so I didn't find it odd that he spent so much time behind the scenes. But then later in the book, he is seen flying throughout the land and tracking some of his enemies. So it seems odd when, after displaying these abilities, the demon simply tasks his minions to track the heroes for him and goes back to sitting on the sidelines. The book explains the demon's behavior by stating that he is so confident, he doesn't feel the need to confront his enemies directly, but once the heroes keep defeating his soldiers and interrupting his plans, you would think the demon would just seek the heroes out himself and destroy them once and for all (especially since we're lead to believe he's pretty much all-powerful by this point). It reminded me of the Thomas Jane "Punisher" movie (yes, I sat through "The Punisher"...don't judge me! Actually, go ahead, I deserve to be judged for that!), in which the lead villain's assassins kept coming at the Punisher one at a time, which begged the question, "Why the hell don't they just send everyone at him if they know where he is?!?" Well, actually it begged the question, "Why the hell am I still watching this?!?"
The Punisher...punishing audiences three movies in a row now!
Still, when I'm having this much fun reading a book, I'm willing to forgive a loophole like this. Now, since I love my GoodReads friends and followers, I feel obligated to point out a potential problem some of you may also have with this novel. Readers who don't like getting peanut butter in their chocolate may also not enjoy the exploration of religious themes. Granted, the religion in this case is one unique to the novel's setting of Corona, but all the talk of a monotheistic God could be frustrating to people who would rather not have religion mixed in with their literature. Also, one final grievance I had, and that would be Avelyn's catchphrase of "ho, ho, what"! I admit, I kind of liked it at first, but when it gets to the point where Avelyn incorporates it into just about every single conversation he has, it did grate on my nerves after a while. It was possibly a mistake for me to read this so close to Christmas, since now I cringe so much from hearing "Ho ho", I'm liable to punch a store-Santa in the face! Just kidding, kids, Santa abuse is never cool!
Fans of Salvatore's earlier works will most likely love this one as well. And if you didn't like Salvatore's prior work, this one may just make a fan out of you. Recommended for any fantasy-lover!
February 27, 2017
As the entire Demonwars Saga has been gathering dust on my shelves for over ten years now, boy do I feel foolish for not having read The Demon Awakens before now. There were so many elements I loved, and at one point was even considering a 5 star rating (I'll address what knocked it off that in a minute). It dazzled me with great characters, an interesting magic system, exotic fantastical settings, and a fast-paced plot filled with loads of action and excitement (with plenty of that brilliant hand-to-hand combat that Salvatore is known so well for).
The characters were fresh, exciting, and really fun to get to know - totally on par with their Forgotten Realms counterparts (if perhaps a mite less memorable). I had been a little worried that they'd be carbon copies of Drizzt and his gang, but thankfully they weren't. It's always a concern I have when reading a slightly less popular series by authors known primarily for other works. It's kind of silly, because logically good writing knows no bounds. Anyway, Salvatore has definitely shown me here that he's no one trick pony.
50% of The Demon Awakens (from about the 1/4 mark to the 3/4 mark) was a solid 5-star (I loved every freaking moment) type of story for all of the attributes listed above. It took a while to get past the spoiler-ish summary I'd read before diving in (which is why I usually don't more than glance at overviews – does knowing key plot points of a story before diving in bother anyone else is much as it does me?).
Anyway, obviously there were some great components to The Demon Awakens, but there were a handful of things bothered me enough in the last 1/4 of the books to knock down my rating. Character development was one of them. I know I just spent a moment gushing at how great I thought they were; what I'm referring to here is how these great characters changed throughout the novel. One of my favorites underwent a seeming 180 degree personality flip over a very short time period... it was a little disorienting. It felt like two totally different character profiles were given the same name and slapped together. Also, the only relatable female character, who had strong growth arc through most of the book, eventually became second fiddle and almost incidental near the end.
Story trajectory was my other issue. Salvatore took my least favorite plot point and beat it to death with a small cudgel. I acknowledge that at some point that plot point needed to be resolved, but that doesn't mean I was obligated to enjoy it ;P. The parts I wasn't excited about earned a 2 star (it was just okay) rating.
That said, I'm still definitely continuing on with the series, as there was a significant parts of this book I loved with a fierce passion. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that some of my favorite plot elements make their way into the next installment.
Other books you might like:
The Outstretched Shadow – Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
A Game of Thrones – George R. R. Martin
Pawn of Prophecy – David Eddings
The Misenchanted Sword – Lawrence Watt Evans
Homeland – R. A. Salvatore (Obviously)
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
The characters were fresh, exciting, and really fun to get to know - totally on par with their Forgotten Realms counterparts (if perhaps a mite less memorable). I had been a little worried that they'd be carbon copies of Drizzt and his gang, but thankfully they weren't. It's always a concern I have when reading a slightly less popular series by authors known primarily for other works. It's kind of silly, because logically good writing knows no bounds. Anyway, Salvatore has definitely shown me here that he's no one trick pony.
50% of The Demon Awakens (from about the 1/4 mark to the 3/4 mark) was a solid 5-star (I loved every freaking moment) type of story for all of the attributes listed above. It took a while to get past the spoiler-ish summary I'd read before diving in (which is why I usually don't more than glance at overviews – does knowing key plot points of a story before diving in bother anyone else is much as it does me?).
Anyway, obviously there were some great components to The Demon Awakens, but there were a handful of things bothered me enough in the last 1/4 of the books to knock down my rating. Character development was one of them. I know I just spent a moment gushing at how great I thought they were; what I'm referring to here is how these great characters changed throughout the novel. One of my favorites underwent a seeming 180 degree personality flip over a very short time period... it was a little disorienting. It felt like two totally different character profiles were given the same name and slapped together. Also, the only relatable female character, who had strong growth arc through most of the book, eventually became second fiddle and almost incidental near the end.
Story trajectory was my other issue. Salvatore took my least favorite plot point and beat it to death with a small cudgel. I acknowledge that at some point that plot point needed to be resolved, but that doesn't mean I was obligated to enjoy it ;P. The parts I wasn't excited about earned a 2 star (it was just okay) rating.
That said, I'm still definitely continuing on with the series, as there was a significant parts of this book I loved with a fierce passion. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that some of my favorite plot elements make their way into the next installment.
Other books you might like:
The Outstretched Shadow – Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
A Game of Thrones – George R. R. Martin
Pawn of Prophecy – David Eddings
The Misenchanted Sword – Lawrence Watt Evans
Homeland – R. A. Salvatore (Obviously)
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
November 7, 2014
Another lovely buddy read with the wonderful David! Such a pleasure to have him as my book buddy! :)
“We are all dying, every moment that passes of every day. That is the inescapable truth of this existence. It is a truth that can paralyze us with fear, or one that can energize us with impatience, with the desire to explore and experience, with the hope- nay, the iron-will!- to find a memory in every action. To be alive, under sunshine, or starlight, in weather fair or stormy. To dance with every step, be they through gardens of flowers or through deep snows.” ~ R.A. Salvatore
In the enchanted and magical realm of Corona, an evil demon plots and schemes and bands together all manner of creatures in a volcano to attack and destroy the towns in the south, with the eventual goal of world domination. The story centers around three main characters; Pony, Avelyn, and Elbryan, and their quest to end the demon dactyl's influence. Elbryan and Pony are friends who were seperated at the age of twelve when tragedy strikes their home. Avelyn is a monk who lives on an island where gemstones rain down from the sky, which contain magical properties. When his corrupt superiors cause young Avelyn to lose his faith he strikes out on his own. When the three come together and become companions, they find the future of their world at stake.
It seems as if I have always, always been a fan of R. A. Salvatore. His books featuring the dark elf Drizzt are some of my favorite fantasy books of all time. One of the things I have always enjoyed about his writing is that he is such a constant sort of writer. When you pick up one of his books, you can basically tell what is going to happen from beginning to end. And I like that. It's a comfortable feeling. So I was expecting a similar sort of story this time around as well. But to my complete and utter surprise all of my expectations were blown right out of the water with this story! Of course, it had all the usual fantasy elements that I know and love; strong male and female characters, elves, magic, a medieval type world/setting, but this story had so many twists and surprises that kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat for almost the entire time! The writing style itself was the same brilliant and utterly descriptive style that I have always adored with Salvatore's writing. It was such bliss to lose myself in this book. Once I got towards the end of it I actually slowed down reading it because I didn't want it to end! It was that good!
I really really enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing on with the series! :) I highly reccomend it to anyone who enjoys well-told fantasy stories!
“We are all dying, every moment that passes of every day. That is the inescapable truth of this existence. It is a truth that can paralyze us with fear, or one that can energize us with impatience, with the desire to explore and experience, with the hope- nay, the iron-will!- to find a memory in every action. To be alive, under sunshine, or starlight, in weather fair or stormy. To dance with every step, be they through gardens of flowers or through deep snows.” ~ R.A. Salvatore
In the enchanted and magical realm of Corona, an evil demon plots and schemes and bands together all manner of creatures in a volcano to attack and destroy the towns in the south, with the eventual goal of world domination. The story centers around three main characters; Pony, Avelyn, and Elbryan, and their quest to end the demon dactyl's influence. Elbryan and Pony are friends who were seperated at the age of twelve when tragedy strikes their home. Avelyn is a monk who lives on an island where gemstones rain down from the sky, which contain magical properties. When his corrupt superiors cause young Avelyn to lose his faith he strikes out on his own. When the three come together and become companions, they find the future of their world at stake.
It seems as if I have always, always been a fan of R. A. Salvatore. His books featuring the dark elf Drizzt are some of my favorite fantasy books of all time. One of the things I have always enjoyed about his writing is that he is such a constant sort of writer. When you pick up one of his books, you can basically tell what is going to happen from beginning to end. And I like that. It's a comfortable feeling. So I was expecting a similar sort of story this time around as well. But to my complete and utter surprise all of my expectations were blown right out of the water with this story! Of course, it had all the usual fantasy elements that I know and love; strong male and female characters, elves, magic, a medieval type world/setting, but this story had so many twists and surprises that kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat for almost the entire time! The writing style itself was the same brilliant and utterly descriptive style that I have always adored with Salvatore's writing. It was such bliss to lose myself in this book. Once I got towards the end of it I actually slowed down reading it because I didn't want it to end! It was that good!
I really really enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing on with the series! :) I highly reccomend it to anyone who enjoys well-told fantasy stories!
February 7, 2017
I'm always wary about "old school" fantasy and rightly so. "Old school" fantasy is infamous for flat characters and world driven plots which are founded on interesting ideas but don't really give readers a reason to give a shit.
THE DEMON AWAKENS is a book with its feet grounded in two worlds: modern and old school fantasy. It's almost like a transition book between the two styles.
Old School-
-The ol' farm boy destined for great things malarkey. I just can't believe how prominent this horrible character is.
-Ominous , all powerful, pure evil antagonist bent on the world's destruction for little or no reason.
-Tough girl that won't put out! Gah! She also has amnesia so she's a double troupe.
-Goblins. I can't stand goblins. They're like the crown cheesy jewel of the old school.
-A quest to bring some shit somewhere.
Modern-
-Characterization. The first half of the book had wonderfully rich characterization. That is until the three main characters met and they all became two dimensional altruists.
- World building. This too was interesting and not too overpowering until about half way through at which time it took over as the main character.
This book started out really strong despite the goblins. But once the characters' POVs intertwine their personalities fall flat and I ended up just not caring anymore. It went from a well written rainbow of adventure and drama to a gray blah quest to do something uninteresting. If you've read any modern fantasy this book won't do anything for you. If you're new to the genre this may be a good place to start. Grade school stuff.
Not Recommended.
THE DEMON AWAKENS is a book with its feet grounded in two worlds: modern and old school fantasy. It's almost like a transition book between the two styles.
Old School-
-The ol' farm boy destined for great things malarkey. I just can't believe how prominent this horrible character is.
-Ominous , all powerful, pure evil antagonist bent on the world's destruction for little or no reason.
-Tough girl that won't put out! Gah! She also has amnesia so she's a double troupe.
-Goblins. I can't stand goblins. They're like the crown cheesy jewel of the old school.
-A quest to bring some shit somewhere.
Modern-
-Characterization. The first half of the book had wonderfully rich characterization. That is until the three main characters met and they all became two dimensional altruists.
- World building. This too was interesting and not too overpowering until about half way through at which time it took over as the main character.
This book started out really strong despite the goblins. But once the characters' POVs intertwine their personalities fall flat and I ended up just not caring anymore. It went from a well written rainbow of adventure and drama to a gray blah quest to do something uninteresting. If you've read any modern fantasy this book won't do anything for you. If you're new to the genre this may be a good place to start. Grade school stuff.
Not Recommended.
July 4, 2009
Yet again, another book by Salvatore that I really enjoyed.. The characters are flawless (Salvatore's characters usually are).. Drizzt will always be my favorite Character of his, but these characters were amazing too..
This is slightly different than the Forgotten Realms books, because it takes place in a different world, Corona.. Elbryan and Pony were separated from each other at the age of 12 when goblins attacked their home and killed everyone that lived there.. They both thought the other was dead.. They had no hope of seeing each other again..
The end of this book keeps you wanting more.. It left off in a good spot to want you to immediately pick up the 2nd book and start reading right away.. Too bad it was too late and I needed to go to bed.. =) I will start reading that one soon enough..
This is slightly different than the Forgotten Realms books, because it takes place in a different world, Corona.. Elbryan and Pony were separated from each other at the age of 12 when goblins attacked their home and killed everyone that lived there.. They both thought the other was dead.. They had no hope of seeing each other again..
The end of this book keeps you wanting more.. It left off in a good spot to want you to immediately pick up the 2nd book and start reading right away.. Too bad it was too late and I needed to go to bed.. =) I will start reading that one soon enough..
February 10, 2024
4.5 ✨
I listened to the graphic audio of this and it was awesome and I think everyone should treat themselves to it.
We have a Demon that has escaped and got his army of Goblins and Giants to destroy the humans but a Monk with magical stones that offer different powers, an Elvin trained Ranger and his lover fight along side the humans and Elves to hopefully eradicate the foul spawn.
The audio version offers immersive storytelling and the voices for the elves was just perfect!
This story has common tropes like Elves, Goblins, and Dwarves but they’re nothing like Tolkien style which if fun for me.
I listened to the graphic audio of this and it was awesome and I think everyone should treat themselves to it.
We have a Demon that has escaped and got his army of Goblins and Giants to destroy the humans but a Monk with magical stones that offer different powers, an Elvin trained Ranger and his lover fight along side the humans and Elves to hopefully eradicate the foul spawn.
The audio version offers immersive storytelling and the voices for the elves was just perfect!
This story has common tropes like Elves, Goblins, and Dwarves but they’re nothing like Tolkien style which if fun for me.
October 13, 2018
This is one of my favorite books of all time.
This novel is told from the point of view of three characters: Elbryan, Jilseponie, and Avelyn.
Each have their own unique voice and they are very well developed characters. The world is beautifully created by Salvatore, and his fight scenes are detailed and exciting.
The three characters are on a collision course with a demon, there's some humor, plenty of action, and a lot of "ho, ho, what!"
This novel is told from the point of view of three characters: Elbryan, Jilseponie, and Avelyn.
Each have their own unique voice and they are very well developed characters. The world is beautifully created by Salvatore, and his fight scenes are detailed and exciting.
The three characters are on a collision course with a demon, there's some humor, plenty of action, and a lot of "ho, ho, what!"
October 2, 2019
An entertaining but cliché-ridden and shallow fantasy novel, with quite a few problems that hinder it from being truly great, such as:
Every main character is a Mary/Gary Stu. There are three main characters, and each of them is the best that anyone has ever seen at whatever it is they do, they all learn new things (magic, fighting techniques) faster than anyone else ever, and they are practically untouchable.
Morality is very basic and black and white. Eveyone is either a saint or a dickbag.
One of the characters has a massive personality shift that kind of comes out of nowhere. Also, he constantly says "Ho ho, what!". I mean ALL THE TIME. It's so bad that even other characters start to ape him.
The ending devolves into people and monsters just pummeling each other rather than any kind of interesting and/or surprising resolution.
Despite all that this kept me entertained, although I don't see myself reading any more of this series any time soon.
Every main character is a Mary/Gary Stu. There are three main characters, and each of them is the best that anyone has ever seen at whatever it is they do, they all learn new things (magic, fighting techniques) faster than anyone else ever, and they are practically untouchable.
Morality is very basic and black and white. Eveyone is either a saint or a dickbag.
One of the characters has a massive personality shift that kind of comes out of nowhere. Also, he constantly says "Ho ho, what!". I mean ALL THE TIME. It's so bad that even other characters start to ape him.
The ending devolves into people and monsters just pummeling each other rather than any kind of interesting and/or surprising resolution.
Despite all that this kept me entertained, although I don't see myself reading any more of this series any time soon.
March 14, 2012
(audiobook) heard all 7 books. Good enjoyable fantasy.
June 12, 2016
I listened to The Demon Awakens on graphic audio. These are audiobooks that have music, sound effects, and a full cast of voice actors. Things that can be explained with sound are sometimes overlooked in the narration to create a more cinematic experience. I think that the graphic audio definitely added more to the story.
The Demon Awakens is a typical fantasy romp from R.A. Salvatore. Those that are familiar with his Dark Elf Drizzt books will be familiar with Salvatore's writing style. The biggest difference in this book is that this is Salvatore's own world where as the Drizzt books are a part of the D&D Forgotten Realms world. This allows Salvatore some level of freedom to create his own world but a lot of it is still very Forgotten Realms in feeling.
The Demon Awakens follows three different characters as they converge to stop an ultimate evil that has awoken, sending goblin, giant, and dwarven armies to destroy the towns and cities of men. The first half of this book have our characters apart and it is during this part the strength of the book happens. The world and the characters are much more interesting in their own setting and stories than they are when they come together, and it becomes mostly about fighting. Avelyn is a monk that can wield the power of gemstones to create magic. When he learns his abbey of monks is corrupt he flees with a cache of gems and warnings of the world's impending doom. Elbryan is a human ranger that lives with the elves after goblins destroyed his town as a child. He grows up learning the ways and powers of the elves to protect the countryside. Pony is from the same destroyed town as Elbryan but she can't remember her past because of her traumatic experience. She finds herself adopted in a city by a tavern owner.
The characters are all rather cliche' character archetypes but Salvatore makes it work. I think that is one of R.A. Salvatore's strength, even though the characters are familiar he figures out a way for the reader to end up really liking them. Even though I knew these characters were less than stellar I still really liked them. Pony's character is definitely the weakest of the three main characters and my main criticism of Salvatore is that he bases value of female characters off of the male characters a lot. If you are looking for a good female character look somewhere else.
This is really an action packed adventure once the characters come together. The backstories and discovering the world is fun but people read Salvatore books for the action. Salvatore just writes combat scenes that readers love and this series is no exception. The graphic audio elements gave the book an even more epic feel when the fighting happened.
I was hoping for a little bit more in this book and less of the expected. I wanted to be surprised but everything just seemed rather by the numbers fantasy. Regardless I still enjoyed it, and if you like Salvatore's Drizzt series, you'll probably enjoy this too. I'm hoping for more complexity in future installments.
3/5
11/25 Possible Score
Plot - 3(Good)
Characters - 2(OK)
World Building - 2(OK)
Writing Style - 2(OK)
Heart & Mind Aspect - 2(OK)
The Demon Awakens is a typical fantasy romp from R.A. Salvatore. Those that are familiar with his Dark Elf Drizzt books will be familiar with Salvatore's writing style. The biggest difference in this book is that this is Salvatore's own world where as the Drizzt books are a part of the D&D Forgotten Realms world. This allows Salvatore some level of freedom to create his own world but a lot of it is still very Forgotten Realms in feeling.
The Demon Awakens follows three different characters as they converge to stop an ultimate evil that has awoken, sending goblin, giant, and dwarven armies to destroy the towns and cities of men. The first half of this book have our characters apart and it is during this part the strength of the book happens. The world and the characters are much more interesting in their own setting and stories than they are when they come together, and it becomes mostly about fighting. Avelyn is a monk that can wield the power of gemstones to create magic. When he learns his abbey of monks is corrupt he flees with a cache of gems and warnings of the world's impending doom. Elbryan is a human ranger that lives with the elves after goblins destroyed his town as a child. He grows up learning the ways and powers of the elves to protect the countryside. Pony is from the same destroyed town as Elbryan but she can't remember her past because of her traumatic experience. She finds herself adopted in a city by a tavern owner.
The characters are all rather cliche' character archetypes but Salvatore makes it work. I think that is one of R.A. Salvatore's strength, even though the characters are familiar he figures out a way for the reader to end up really liking them. Even though I knew these characters were less than stellar I still really liked them. Pony's character is definitely the weakest of the three main characters and my main criticism of Salvatore is that he bases value of female characters off of the male characters a lot. If you are looking for a good female character look somewhere else.
This is really an action packed adventure once the characters come together. The backstories and discovering the world is fun but people read Salvatore books for the action. Salvatore just writes combat scenes that readers love and this series is no exception. The graphic audio elements gave the book an even more epic feel when the fighting happened.
I was hoping for a little bit more in this book and less of the expected. I wanted to be surprised but everything just seemed rather by the numbers fantasy. Regardless I still enjoyed it, and if you like Salvatore's Drizzt series, you'll probably enjoy this too. I'm hoping for more complexity in future installments.
3/5
11/25 Possible Score
Plot - 3(Good)
Characters - 2(OK)
World Building - 2(OK)
Writing Style - 2(OK)
Heart & Mind Aspect - 2(OK)
February 15, 2011
Salvatore's first story in a series set in a world of his own making rather than the more well known Forgotten Realms setting ... a very good read
February 9, 2022
Ho, ho, what! a story.
October 2, 2016
I half-read, half-listened to this one. I bought the series but didn't quite manage to get around to reading it, and then the audiobook by Graphic Audio became available so I started it off.
First off, Graphic Audio is a more cinematic take on audio book narrations. It uses different voice actors, and the narration is punctuated with appropriate sound effects, which mostly does add to the immersion. But this comes at a "cost", in that where sound effects or dialogue will do, Graphic Audio will trim or replace the actual written words. Sometimes I have no idea what a sound effect meant, and sometimes the voice actors sound comical.
I most especially didn't like that Graphic Audio would also sometimes choose to insert their own words where the author didn't - the most offending (to me) were inserting dying words for one of the characters later in the plot - I felt that it drastically changed the mood of the scene. I just don't like the idea that Graphic Audio would play "director" in the audio books they read. Which is what made me half-read the novel - I would listen to it, then skim through the pages again later on, just to get a "truer" picture. I'll pass on Graphic Audio narrations - they're not for me.
Now for the book itself. I came in expecting a great story and deep characters, but I found great disappointment. Was this really written after the Legend of Drizzt?! I'm sorry to say that this book was really amateurish.
Being the first book of a new setting, I expected a bit of world-building. But all I got are several very generic human villages, one elf village, and one small- to mid-sized city that mainly just focuses on a tavern. Aside from a beautiful halo (northern lights sort of thing) and an order of monks (from where one of the protagonists hail) dedicated to the worship of a divine being, this world of Corona (as of book 1) is very bland. The only culture I got was a generic patriarchal human kingdom whose societal "feel" (content and seemingly prosperous) are at odds with its military (complacent and gilded).
One other thing that annoys the heck out of me are the names in this book - they're incredibly inconsistent. Individuals of the same village, city, or people-group can have wildly different sounding names and completely different constructs. Names are a pet peeve of mine; I just get irritated when authors just randomise weird-sounding names with no thought to world-building. I would guess someone else provided the names for the characters in the D&D books.
Despite monologues being heavier than actual conversations, the main characters are surprisingly one-dimensional characters. Their motivations are not always consistent, and the events that happen to them are too convenient. The situations that "happen" just happen because they need to happen. The only character that stands out enough is Avelyn, the monk of the order I mentioned earlier. This part of the plot started off a bit tedious, but it turned out to the best part of the book because Avelyn at least has believable and consistent motivations. Too bad the completely unnatural "Ho, ho, what!" ruins his character later.
And that's a theme for the book. The earlier chapters, where things are getting set up, feature better plot coherency and dialogue. It just goes downhill as those protagonists grow up. The pacing didn't help. It goes very slowly, then speeds up drastically as it approaches a milestone. This repeats several times, so it makes for uneven pacing. But there are nice reads here and there. Some of the action scenes are pretty good, with magic mixed up to good effect. But the magic system is a bit weird and inconsistent - sometimes they need to concentrate and "fall into it", sometimes they just unleash it.
I've written too much on a book I don't like, so just one last bit: the titular demon was pathetic. All he does is bully his underlings and flee from straight-up fights. Despite oft-repeating how evil he is or how dangerous he is, he actually didn't manage to kill anyone directly (iirc), excluding his own underlings. And he's a complete failure at playing war. But the good guys are complete failures too - the way the heroes react to the discovery of a horde of monsters is completely nonsensical. And it leads to the biggest failure of all: going up against this all-powerful, all-evil demon. It's like the Lord of the Rings, only it concludes in about five chapters.
Obviously, since this is just book 1, it's blatantly obvious that there's a lot more story to this 5-chapter LOTR - it's just a really bad way to end the first book, and a really bad start for a new series.
First off, Graphic Audio is a more cinematic take on audio book narrations. It uses different voice actors, and the narration is punctuated with appropriate sound effects, which mostly does add to the immersion. But this comes at a "cost", in that where sound effects or dialogue will do, Graphic Audio will trim or replace the actual written words. Sometimes I have no idea what a sound effect meant, and sometimes the voice actors sound comical.
I most especially didn't like that Graphic Audio would also sometimes choose to insert their own words where the author didn't - the most offending (to me) were inserting dying words for one of the characters later in the plot - I felt that it drastically changed the mood of the scene. I just don't like the idea that Graphic Audio would play "director" in the audio books they read. Which is what made me half-read the novel - I would listen to it, then skim through the pages again later on, just to get a "truer" picture. I'll pass on Graphic Audio narrations - they're not for me.
Now for the book itself. I came in expecting a great story and deep characters, but I found great disappointment. Was this really written after the Legend of Drizzt?! I'm sorry to say that this book was really amateurish.
Being the first book of a new setting, I expected a bit of world-building. But all I got are several very generic human villages, one elf village, and one small- to mid-sized city that mainly just focuses on a tavern. Aside from a beautiful halo (northern lights sort of thing) and an order of monks (from where one of the protagonists hail) dedicated to the worship of a divine being, this world of Corona (as of book 1) is very bland. The only culture I got was a generic patriarchal human kingdom whose societal "feel" (content and seemingly prosperous) are at odds with its military (complacent and gilded).
One other thing that annoys the heck out of me are the names in this book - they're incredibly inconsistent. Individuals of the same village, city, or people-group can have wildly different sounding names and completely different constructs. Names are a pet peeve of mine; I just get irritated when authors just randomise weird-sounding names with no thought to world-building. I would guess someone else provided the names for the characters in the D&D books.
Despite monologues being heavier than actual conversations, the main characters are surprisingly one-dimensional characters. Their motivations are not always consistent, and the events that happen to them are too convenient. The situations that "happen" just happen because they need to happen. The only character that stands out enough is Avelyn, the monk of the order I mentioned earlier. This part of the plot started off a bit tedious, but it turned out to the best part of the book because Avelyn at least has believable and consistent motivations. Too bad the completely unnatural "Ho, ho, what!" ruins his character later.
And that's a theme for the book. The earlier chapters, where things are getting set up, feature better plot coherency and dialogue. It just goes downhill as those protagonists grow up. The pacing didn't help. It goes very slowly, then speeds up drastically as it approaches a milestone. This repeats several times, so it makes for uneven pacing. But there are nice reads here and there. Some of the action scenes are pretty good, with magic mixed up to good effect. But the magic system is a bit weird and inconsistent - sometimes they need to concentrate and "fall into it", sometimes they just unleash it.
I've written too much on a book I don't like, so just one last bit: the titular demon was pathetic. All he does is bully his underlings and flee from straight-up fights. Despite oft-repeating how evil he is or how dangerous he is, he actually didn't manage to kill anyone directly (iirc), excluding his own underlings. And he's a complete failure at playing war. But the good guys are complete failures too - the way the heroes react to the discovery of a horde of monsters is completely nonsensical. And it leads to the biggest failure of all: going up against this all-powerful, all-evil demon. It's like the Lord of the Rings, only it concludes in about five chapters.
Obviously, since this is just book 1, it's blatantly obvious that there's a lot more story to this 5-chapter LOTR - it's just a really bad way to end the first book, and a really bad start for a new series.
January 22, 2025
The Demon Awakens started off very strong. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 3/4’s of the book. Each characters origins were interesting, detailed, and kept you interested.
The end felt so incredibly rushed. I really had hoped the end events had been fleshed out more and expected them to be part of a different book. A lot of the big “plot twists” felt a bit pointless and held no weight.
A promising start but ended up very disappointing. Even the fights at the end felt so shallow.
The end felt so incredibly rushed. I really had hoped the end events had been fleshed out more and expected them to be part of a different book. A lot of the big “plot twists” felt a bit pointless and held no weight.
A promising start but ended up very disappointing. Even the fights at the end felt so shallow.
May 12, 2016
We have a demon who was sealed away 700 years ago and now the demon has escaped.
Well thank goodness we have an intrepid band of adventurers there to fight.
We have a ranger (Elbryan) and a fighter (Pony) and we have monk (Avelyn). All have lived different lives, have different motivations and different things that drive them but all come together to fight the demon.
Assisting them are your side characters - the elves & the centaur.
This is fantasy how I like it - good writing, great action sequences, well formed characters, characters I really care about, good guys fighting bad guys. Salvatore's writing has really matured since his earlier work.
Things I didn't care for - too much time/energy spent on the church and religion. The demon didn't really seem all that much to worry about and his actions didn't make sense a lot of the time.
There's not much world building here. You don't learn a lot about anything but then you really don't need to in order to enjoy the book. While I like the characters better than his books set in the Realms - these characters weren't as fully formed so we'll see where he goes with them.
I'd recommend it and I will continue the series.
Well thank goodness we have an intrepid band of adventurers there to fight.
We have a ranger (Elbryan) and a fighter (Pony) and we have monk (Avelyn). All have lived different lives, have different motivations and different things that drive them but all come together to fight the demon.
Assisting them are your side characters - the elves & the centaur.
This is fantasy how I like it - good writing, great action sequences, well formed characters, characters I really care about, good guys fighting bad guys. Salvatore's writing has really matured since his earlier work.
Things I didn't care for - too much time/energy spent on the church and religion. The demon didn't really seem all that much to worry about and his actions didn't make sense a lot of the time.
There's not much world building here. You don't learn a lot about anything but then you really don't need to in order to enjoy the book. While I like the characters better than his books set in the Realms - these characters weren't as fully formed so we'll see where he goes with them.
I'd recommend it and I will continue the series.
May 7, 2016
A sword and sorcery tale of demon trying to destroy the world leading to adventurers banding together to stop him. Pretty typical fantasy story, but it keeps it interesting. There are three main characters that are all excellent in their own way. The story is heavy on the action, but still includes plenty of character growth, mystery, and romance. It's a fun story with an interesting world. I listened to it through Graphic Audio, which includes many different sound effects, background music, and each character is narrated by a different person. It probably made the action sequences more exciting, but I only read it this way so am unsure. The only problem with Graphic Audio is sometimes the sound effects are louder than the narration.
June 20, 2016
This book is like reading a bowl of tepid oatmeal. It is boring, boring, boring. Nothing happens for sixty, seventy, eighty pages at a time, then something happens, followed by long periods of nothing happening again. It is a fantasy world much like local access television. And the world, Corona? Snore. Dwarves with bloody red hats (sort of like gnomes). Elves with wings (like Tinkerbelle). Magic stones, like...I don't know what. A magic stone store.
Yeah, this is dreadful and dull. Normally Salvatore is really good. Not this one. Fortunately, I got all three of the books in this series for like $6 at the Used Book Superstore. They were just like new. I should have known.
Yeah, this is dreadful and dull. Normally Salvatore is really good. Not this one. Fortunately, I got all three of the books in this series for like $6 at the Used Book Superstore. They were just like new. I should have known.
December 29, 2009
Even though I sometimes find Salvatore's books to be a bit to oriented to the young adult crowd, I still find myself enjoying his writing style. If you have never read anything from him before, he is unique in his descriptive prose of nearly every fight scene. He loves the step by step play calling that makes you feel like you are right there. This is standard sword and sorcery here but done by a master. I recommend this one.
May 11, 2016
I have read several of the author's Drittz books and really enjoy them. This was also quite good and I will pick up the next book in the series as I get the chance. That being said, it wasn't perfect. I found several of the resolutions to conflicts to be a little anticlimactic. The fights were well described but seemed to end with "and then the heroes win".
I would be curious if this is one of the author's earlier works, since it seems a little weak compared to the other books I've read.
I would be curious if this is one of the author's earlier works, since it seems a little weak compared to the other books I've read.
December 27, 2015
this book has been one of my most beloved ones since forever! whenever I wanted to fall into another world and forget everything else, I read this. Even though I only have part one, I had to reread it since I finally got all the other books for Christmas (a dream came true. yay.)
r.a.salvatore created a unique and complex world. the characters have their own personalities, background and goals and I'm excited to read how they all come together. can't wait for book two!
r.a.salvatore created a unique and complex world. the characters have their own personalities, background and goals and I'm excited to read how they all come together. can't wait for book two!
January 19, 2012
So far the book is very good, really gets my heart rate up. Especially the elves. I've never had a group of elves piss me off so badly as the Corona Elves do! If Mr. Salvatore was going for "different", he sicceeded!! And as usual, his writing style gets under my skin in a heartbeat. This is a GOOD thing!
November 18, 2015
Fun fantasy romp, but would've been nicer if the main villain wasn't just 'bwah! I am evil! I must kill everything!' but I'm assuming that it's going to get elaborated on more on later books. There's nothing really out of the ordinary about this fantasy tale, the cliches are all there -- but if you want to see the cliches not treated like cliches and done relatively well, this is your book.
November 3, 2011
This series is a lot like the drizzt books. An elf, a girl. A hero. It was a fairly good book and his action scenes were, as always, riveting. These are hefty books that read like short essays. I might read these again if nothing else was around but maybe not.
March 7, 2014
Honestly the first half of this book is pretty slow. You follow 3 main characters from one disaster to another. After half way in though it all comes together and started to move. It ends much better than it started.
July 25, 2014
A nice story, looking forward to reading this series further.
March 29, 2013
I loved this, as much as I do all of his other works.
September 6, 2015
Read this one awhile back, but remember enjoying it.
April 1, 2017
"Ho, ho, What!"
Old school D&D fare
Old school D&D fare
July 15, 2017
THis is my second time reading this book. It was just as good as the first time.
June 14, 2020
I enjoyed this throughout, however, this is because I'm well acquainted with Salvatore's writing so I was prepared. Most people talk about his combat, for me it's actually the worst part of his books, the fights are impossible to follow and envision sometimes and way too long, I get lost.You don't need to describe every single detail of where each sword tip and each foot did to be descriptive and captivating. I forgive him because he of course is a dungeon master of 30+ years so that's how he wants to describe things, a DnD session. My main problems are in world-building, the Elves for example; they are literally Keebler/Christmas Elves, short (4 foot something), wings for hovering ( like faeries), and they literally hold hands and do pirouettes as they sing and dance in unison around you. The elves made me do a double-take, like seriously Bob? Keebler elves? I'm still convinced he was being cheeky and whimsical not serious, they are just too ridiculous to take seriously. The dwarves are almost as bad, thick, barrel-like bodies with freakishly thin/spindly limbs. Just had me shaking my head in disbelief that he actually wrote those sentences.
Anachronistic speech can also be annoying but it's actually barely present here but you have the opposite problem where characters randomly start talking almost like Shakespeare. Arbitrarily changing word order to make it sound more dark ages or medieval is actually pretty bad here, it's obvious it's deliberate and doesn't make sense or flow well. The breaking of the fourth wall is also kind of annoying but can be overlooked if you're used to his writing which I am (10+ Drizzt books over 15 year period). By this I mean him describing the event or environment with exclamation marks, very antiquated but purely subjective, it's clear he grew up reading Fritz Leiber and Burroughs ( John Carter of Mars, Tarzan, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser etc).
It mind sound like I'm bashing it but aside from these complaints, it was a fun read and I love the low-magic/low-fantasy world. It's mainly medieval western Europe with some few magical elements and only few are acquainted with the magic system. This and a not too massive or fleshed out world actually made it really easy to follow and get invested in. The words just flowed easily because there aren't constant mentions of cultural things that aren't explained. The world's simple, the magic system is interesting and has no apparent loopholes, the characters are tropy but cool and I found myself really liking them more and more. The ending was devastating but satisfying. It does leave you with a bunch of questions though, mainly " how the hell are there six more books after this ending?..."
Anachronistic speech can also be annoying but it's actually barely present here but you have the opposite problem where characters randomly start talking almost like Shakespeare. Arbitrarily changing word order to make it sound more dark ages or medieval is actually pretty bad here, it's obvious it's deliberate and doesn't make sense or flow well. The breaking of the fourth wall is also kind of annoying but can be overlooked if you're used to his writing which I am (10+ Drizzt books over 15 year period). By this I mean him describing the event or environment with exclamation marks, very antiquated but purely subjective, it's clear he grew up reading Fritz Leiber and Burroughs ( John Carter of Mars, Tarzan, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser etc).
It mind sound like I'm bashing it but aside from these complaints, it was a fun read and I love the low-magic/low-fantasy world. It's mainly medieval western Europe with some few magical elements and only few are acquainted with the magic system. This and a not too massive or fleshed out world actually made it really easy to follow and get invested in. The words just flowed easily because there aren't constant mentions of cultural things that aren't explained. The world's simple, the magic system is interesting and has no apparent loopholes, the characters are tropy but cool and I found myself really liking them more and more. The ending was devastating but satisfying. It does leave you with a bunch of questions though, mainly " how the hell are there six more books after this ending?..."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews