The Daylight War

The Demon Cycle, Book 3

By: Peter V. Brett

Narrated by: Pete Bradbury

Length: 26 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Peter V. Brett has won rave reviews for his internationally best-selling novels, including his stunning debut, The Warded Man.

A continuation of his epic Demon Cycle series, The Daylight War features Inevera, the wife of Jadir, who took center stage in Book 2, The Desert Spear. In this heart-stopping installment, humanity continues to struggle against the demon plague - even as survivors hold out hope that the Deliverer will save them all. On the night of the new moon, the demons rise in force, seeking the deaths of two men, both of whom have the potential to become the fabled Deliverer, the man prophesied to reunite the scattered remnants of humanity in a final push to destroy the demon corelings once and for all.

©2013 Peter V. Brett (P)2013 Recorded Books

The strong sections outweigh the weaker ones

I was pleased to find that the annoying focus on overly positive female roles and overly negative male roles seems to have balanced out a bit in this, the third novel in the series. However, I was displeased when the author spent much time repeating large sections of what had happened in the previous books. Even so, the sections where he added ample amounts of backstory for Inevera and Renna was very good. I was surprised when I came to realize that he had always intended to include her later on in the series.

I still believe too much time was spent of the romantic encounters between Arlen and Renna and Jardir and Inevera and, often, they were over-wrought; so much so that they came across as insincere. Leesha decides to make up for lost time in the book, bringing on a new set of problems.

My last criticism is that of Jardir's seemingly conversion from a misogynistic killing machine to a more nuanced leader with more female sensitivities came across as an unfounded bit of revisionism. It would have been more believable if the author had provided more directed situations where he acknowledged his failures and consciously decided to amend and atone for his past.

The ending was a superb cliff-hanger ... so to speak...

Onto book 4.

wonderful

this book did not disappoint. I have been waiting for this follow-up to Desert spear for a long time

series is definitely worth the time.

This book was just as good as the first in the series. Can't wait to read the next book.

Who is the real Deliverer?

Sticking to his successful formula from book two, Peter V. Brett once again elevates some of his existing characters to PoV status right off the bat. This time around it is Inevera and Abban that get the upgrade and the reader experiences some of the key events, both new and old, from their perspectives. When this happened in book two, The Desert Spear, I was slow to embrace the choice but now I have really come to appreciate the manner in which this many layered story is being constructed. Elevating such characters allows for additional perspectives and insights to be offered up on pivotal events and the characters all turn out to be very engaging. Understanding the histories and motives of all of these individuals adds even more anticipation to the inevitable confrontation that must take place between Arlen and Jardir - one that will likely decide the ultimate fate of mankind in the Demon War.

Both Arlen and Jardir were able to defeat the mind demons that attacked them in the last book and both have come to realize that those demon princes will return with significantly larger forces upon the next waning of the moon. Each supposed Deliverer prepares their loyal troops to fight the demons in the night as well as preparing them for the Daylight War which Jardir is bringing upon Arlen's people during the day.  Jardir, who believes himself the new Deliverer, seeks to unite all of mankind under his rule so that he may lead a unified force against the demons. While Arlen does not believe himself the Deliverer, he will not suffer Jardir's rule after being betrayed by him many years ago and both sides prepare for war.

Relationships take center stage when Arlen and Leesha are reunited and each comes to understand the path the other has chosen while they were apart. The Arlen/Renna and Leesha/Jardir relationship building at the beginning means it takes a while for the two story lines to come together but when they finally do the tension steadily builds until the time comes for Arlen to take action. His powers have been growing exponentially since his initial confrontation with the mind demon and he knows he must first deal with Jardir before he can take the fight to the Core itself.

Arlen will never forgive Jardir, and despite being haunted by what he did, Jardir justifies his act as a necessary evil that will enable him to save mankind from the demons. This book in no way suffers from being a middle book of a series and it delivers a very memorable ending that will have you running to the next book to see the actual impact of it all. Pete Bradbury delivers another excellent performance as this series solidly establishes itself as a must read for Fantasy fans.

amazing story

I couldn't stop listening. Up all night listening neededing to know how this story ends!

book starts great, but feels rushed near end

writing near the end gets weaker and seems rushed. book starts great though. i liked the background on major characters

Book 3

Great read and the sequence of story flow was superb. The action was very vivid and the romance felt real.

GET THIS BOOK!

Would you listen to The Daylight War again? Why?

I would definitely listen to this again! This is the best new fantasy series to come out in a long time.

What other book might you compare The Daylight War to and why?

It is similar to Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan in terms of plot development, character evolution, and addictive writing style.

Which scene was your favorite?

The final battle screen. I wont ruin for anyone, but it is both a literal and a figurative cliff hanger that had me screaming at my iPhone as the narrator suddenly says, "The End."

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I had many extreme reaction, including many laughs and cries.

Any additional comments?

If you hate being addicted to great stories, then you should stay away from this series in general and this book in particular, because Brett will suck you in and leave you angry that there is not more to consume. Buy this book. Support this new author- Peter V. Brett may very well be "the next great thing."

Unbelievable story

Best series for me in while and I am a long time listener of audio books. Great character development, fresh, and exciting story. Although it is a long story, it kept me engaged from start to finish and it approaches the coexistence of magic and science for fiction from a different perspective which was refreshing. The writer, Brett, also did a good job capturing the emotions of each character and the people living in the various hamlets. Sometimes this is loss in a fiction book but Brett took his time walking the listener through it.

I also loved the narrator Bradbury. He has great depth and is able to transition between characters flawlessly. Although there is romance in the story, it was done very subtly which made it easier to consume for my tastes.

Lastly, the author has a unique ability to interweave the main story with all ancillary stories to create the great book. I highly recommend this book and suggest you listen for yourself.

Entertaining characters and story line

As the story world continues to unfold, I am finding myself drawn deeper. The characters are not predictable, they surprise me frequently. My only complaint is the occasional "critical mass" use of terms in dialog that would be meaningless to the character. It isn't a very big flaw, just an interruption of "suspension of disbelief." I did not buy the novellas that follow this book. I hope I don't regret it. Onward to the "Skull Throne."