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The DemonWars Saga #6
Transcendence
TRANSCENDENCE
It is the summer of 839. Brave and beautiful Brynn Dharielle sets out on a daring mission to free her beloved homeland from tyrannical rule. But she cannot imagine the depth of chaos, corruption, and betrayal that seethes admist a ruthless sect of warrior priests, led and manipulated by an evil chieftain who conceals a dark, age-old secret.
For Brynn and her trusted elven companion, the way to Behren turns into a fierce and illuminating voyage beneath the Belt-and-Buckle mountains. And while they face many dangers, the knowledge they acquire will have profound implications for the future of the elven valley, a land shaped by the plotting of a queen desperate to hold onto her magic.
Meanwhile, by the time Brynn reaches the land where she once saw her parents murdered, the seeds of revolution are already flourishing. For a courageous young woman and her elven mentor, the first salvo of a sweeping battle has begun—one that will threaten to destroy the heart and soul of their world.
The eagerly anticipated new novel in R. A. Salvatore’s Second DemonWars saga, Transcendence is an extraordinary adventure that introduces a remarkable new hero—and explores the mysteries of enlightenment and the art of war . . . in a dazzling epic of the imagination.
It is the summer of 839. Brave and beautiful Brynn Dharielle sets out on a daring mission to free her beloved homeland from tyrannical rule. But she cannot imagine the depth of chaos, corruption, and betrayal that seethes admist a ruthless sect of warrior priests, led and manipulated by an evil chieftain who conceals a dark, age-old secret.
For Brynn and her trusted elven companion, the way to Behren turns into a fierce and illuminating voyage beneath the Belt-and-Buckle mountains. And while they face many dangers, the knowledge they acquire will have profound implications for the future of the elven valley, a land shaped by the plotting of a queen desperate to hold onto her magic.
Meanwhile, by the time Brynn reaches the land where she once saw her parents murdered, the seeds of revolution are already flourishing. For a courageous young woman and her elven mentor, the first salvo of a sweeping battle has begun—one that will threaten to destroy the heart and soul of their world.
The eagerly anticipated new novel in R. A. Salvatore’s Second DemonWars saga, Transcendence is an extraordinary adventure that introduces a remarkable new hero—and explores the mysteries of enlightenment and the art of war . . . in a dazzling epic of the imagination.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
36 people are currently reading
1353 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Salvatore
610 books11.4k 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...
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 5, 2009
When I started reading this book I was very angry that it didn't take place right after the first book but went back in time to tell the story of Brynn. There were so many catastrophes at the end of the last book that I picked the next one up to find out what happened next. Now I am glad because I just know the last book is going to be epic with everyone coming together in some way or another.
Now I can not wait to pick up the next book and see what Salvatore has in store for these many characters. People are going to change, die, fall in love, grow, whatever. A Salvatore fan knows that there is NO telling where he will go with this and how it will end. I loved the 6 books I have read from this series and am excited yet sad that I am now at its end. Now it is time to read the final book.
Now I can not wait to pick up the next book and see what Salvatore has in store for these many characters. People are going to change, die, fall in love, grow, whatever. A Salvatore fan knows that there is NO telling where he will go with this and how it will end. I loved the 6 books I have read from this series and am excited yet sad that I am now at its end. Now it is time to read the final book.
August 20, 2008
Great book, yet another Salvatore fantasy story that deals with atypical characters and archetypes. Very interesting protagonist. Unfortunately the first book in this series is not nearly as interesting.
April 22, 2021
This story was nothing but fresh with everything that has been put into focus for the saga and stands out as one of the better installments.
The only real issues I had:
- slight character work problems, which was surprising from Salvatore. Brynn felt a little mismanaged in some places, but for the whole was still really good. She argued against mistreatment of "evil" creatures, while then having racist tendencies of her own. This didn't ruin anything by all means.
- Agradeleous felt unkillable even in his low moments. It also made the surrounding characters really weak. The stand-in of Agradeleous in the story did hinder my feeling of it and was mostly what brought down my rating.
- Endings still feel really rushed with moments that could be filled into gaps of the rushed pace at the book's falling point.
This installment beautifully weaved in some new cultures for you to read through and enjoy, while still developing on older story beats(The zombie elves finally come back in!).
The only real issues I had:
- slight character work problems, which was surprising from Salvatore. Brynn felt a little mismanaged in some places, but for the whole was still really good. She argued against mistreatment of "evil" creatures, while then having racist tendencies of her own. This didn't ruin anything by all means.
- Agradeleous felt unkillable even in his low moments. It also made the surrounding characters really weak. The stand-in of Agradeleous in the story did hinder my feeling of it and was mostly what brought down my rating.
- Endings still feel really rushed with moments that could be filled into gaps of the rushed pace at the book's falling point.
This installment beautifully weaved in some new cultures for you to read through and enjoy, while still developing on older story beats(The zombie elves finally come back in!).
February 18, 2019
A very interesting adventure across civilizations, mountains, deserts and plains.
Challenging concepts of eternal life, true meaning of life, and the use and ethics of power.
A must-read, and probably Salvatore's greatest work.
Challenging concepts of eternal life, true meaning of life, and the use and ethics of power.
A must-read, and probably Salvatore's greatest work.
April 27, 2021
The dragon Agradeleous Was an interesting twist to a traditional mediaeval type bottle. I didn’t really like the racial flavour ( very Arab like), but Pagonel and the Jehsta Tu were interesting. A few hints throughout about Honce te Bear. A lot packed into this book.
June 26, 2019
This was a nice break from the main storyline while tying in nicely. I would give it more of a 4.5 stars but since I don’t have that option I feel it was good enough to bump up to a 5.
January 18, 2020
On to the last book in the series - This was another stellar installment of the series
June 11, 2020
Much better than the previous book. It was interesting following another character. The dynamics between the dragon and other companions was interesting
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2017
OVERVIEW
Transcendence introduces us to many new cultures and religions, as well as new understanding of Salvatore's interesting soul stone magic. This book had all the parts of an epic fantasy for the ages but fell short in its telling, and the reason for this I believe is a lack of deeper characterization. R.A. Salvatore likes to paint his stories with broad strokes, and while that is great for getting the feeling of a vast scope it fails to show the finer detail of his characters. There was also a few questionable decisions made by the main antagonist the God voice, that seemed a little silly for one in his position, and ultimately the whole of his religion and his position in it confused me. All in all this book was good but not great it felt very much like a young adult book at times and the story still continues to jump forward months at a time and leaves what could have been interesting moments unseen, in a way it feels like it needed an extra few dozen pages for more character development and possibly more confrontations with someone other then the Behrenese or the dragon to help Brynn Dharielle grow more naturally into her more mature self.
NEGATIVE
- A lot of the battles especially the ones without the dragon Agradeleous lending his aid, where kind of forgettable and consist of mostly hit and run tactics.
- The Behrenese culture was interesting and helped breath a breath of fresh air into the world of corona. The problem was the names, so many people and places sound alike and it was easy to get them confused.
- The ending I felt was largely underwhelming, The final battle was not very "epic" and the story line surrounding the demise of the god voice didn't feel well crafted.
POSITIVE
+ Expanding on the history of the elves and there kin was a welcome addition as well as the introduction of a new order of monks that take there inspiration from a more eastern style.
+ Agradeleous the dragon was a great character and his love of stories as much as gold was a fantastic idea if not a little Tolkienesque.
+ Brynn Dharielle was a lovely character especially in the beginning with all her charm and love of life, but I did feel she lost that part of her a little too quickly and replaced it with another of the atypical strong female protagonist personas.
Transcendence introduces us to many new cultures and religions, as well as new understanding of Salvatore's interesting soul stone magic. This book had all the parts of an epic fantasy for the ages but fell short in its telling, and the reason for this I believe is a lack of deeper characterization. R.A. Salvatore likes to paint his stories with broad strokes, and while that is great for getting the feeling of a vast scope it fails to show the finer detail of his characters. There was also a few questionable decisions made by the main antagonist the God voice, that seemed a little silly for one in his position, and ultimately the whole of his religion and his position in it confused me. All in all this book was good but not great it felt very much like a young adult book at times and the story still continues to jump forward months at a time and leaves what could have been interesting moments unseen, in a way it feels like it needed an extra few dozen pages for more character development and possibly more confrontations with someone other then the Behrenese or the dragon to help Brynn Dharielle grow more naturally into her more mature self.
NEGATIVE
- A lot of the battles especially the ones without the dragon Agradeleous lending his aid, where kind of forgettable and consist of mostly hit and run tactics.
- The Behrenese culture was interesting and helped breath a breath of fresh air into the world of corona. The problem was the names, so many people and places sound alike and it was easy to get them confused.
- The ending I felt was largely underwhelming, The final battle was not very "epic" and the story line surrounding the demise of the god voice didn't feel well crafted.
POSITIVE
+ Expanding on the history of the elves and there kin was a welcome addition as well as the introduction of a new order of monks that take there inspiration from a more eastern style.
+ Agradeleous the dragon was a great character and his love of stories as much as gold was a fantastic idea if not a little Tolkienesque.
+ Brynn Dharielle was a lovely character especially in the beginning with all her charm and love of life, but I did feel she lost that part of her a little too quickly and replaced it with another of the atypical strong female protagonist personas.
December 30, 2016
This second volume in the Second DemonWars Saga takes place over the same time period as Ascendance. While Aydrian and De'Unnero plot their takeover of Honce the Bear, Brynn sets out to meet her destiny as the saviour of To Gai. Many new characters, an entirely new land, and a seemingly unconnected plot distance this book from the rest of the DemonWars books. While the story is entertaining, and up to the excellent work of other Salvatore pieces, I found myself missing the original story arc and never became convinced that this tale was as important as the events happening in the northern kingdom.
In my opinion, Salvatore would have been better served to combine this book and Ascendance into two books, each with dual story lines. While this book does make an effort to remind the reader of the events happening concurrently, it wasn't enough to keep the stories connected. While I really enjoyed Douan, Pagonel, and Agradeleous, I felt like I would have enjoyed them even more if they were spread out and mixed in with a little Aydrian, Pony, and De'Unnero. Just my impression, and I'm sure Salvatore had good reasons to do it the way he did it.
In any case, the stories have caught up to each other now and the conclusion promises to be a treat. Look forward to reading it.
In my opinion, Salvatore would have been better served to combine this book and Ascendance into two books, each with dual story lines. While this book does make an effort to remind the reader of the events happening concurrently, it wasn't enough to keep the stories connected. While I really enjoyed Douan, Pagonel, and Agradeleous, I felt like I would have enjoyed them even more if they were spread out and mixed in with a little Aydrian, Pony, and De'Unnero. Just my impression, and I'm sure Salvatore had good reasons to do it the way he did it.
In any case, the stories have caught up to each other now and the conclusion promises to be a treat. Look forward to reading it.
August 13, 2018
7.5/10
In this book we see the second half, Brynn and Juraviel with lots of new characters and of course, a dragon!
Salvatore jumps right in with the adventures of Brynn and Juraviel's, which where seen a bit on the first book, while they are trying to figure out how to free the people of To-Gai-Ru from slavery from the Yatols and their religion.
The book although it's not bad and with the story going a bit on basic standards for Salvatore, it lacks from an interesting protagonist (or at least as much as I wanted) and some big suspense for the story compared to the first one in my opinion. What saves the book, I think, is the last part which has the war with the Yatols.
Closing, I would say that it is an Ok book but not as powerful as the first one.
In this book we see the second half, Brynn and Juraviel with lots of new characters and of course, a dragon!
Salvatore jumps right in with the adventures of Brynn and Juraviel's, which where seen a bit on the first book, while they are trying to figure out how to free the people of To-Gai-Ru from slavery from the Yatols and their religion.
The book although it's not bad and with the story going a bit on basic standards for Salvatore, it lacks from an interesting protagonist (or at least as much as I wanted) and some big suspense for the story compared to the first one in my opinion. What saves the book, I think, is the last part which has the war with the Yatols.
Closing, I would say that it is an Ok book but not as powerful as the first one.
December 30, 2017
Very very good entry into the series. Better than the previous book, I feel, but that's partly down to Aydrian Wyndon being mostly an annoying character. This book, somewhat alarmingly, doesn't even make mention of any of the previous book's events (to the point that I was convinced I'd somehow skipped a book accidentally and went so far as to look up on Wikipedia why the Ayrian storyline had been dropped), and focuses on Brynn instead.... and frankly, her story is far more interesting than whinging ol' Aydrian.
There are a few big and important events (and reveals) in this book, which I'll not spoil. Suffice it to say that if you're enjoying this series, this book will not disappoint. Highly recommended.
There are a few big and important events (and reveals) in this book, which I'll not spoil. Suffice it to say that if you're enjoying this series, this book will not disappoint. Highly recommended.
May 28, 2012
An interesting second book in a trilogy that leaves the cliffhanger at the end of the first book and follows another story of a character introduced in the first book, but with not much time spent upon. Tells the story of the elf trained Ranger Brynn as she returns to her homeland to avenge the murder of her parents and to overcome the occupation of her homeland. Lots of interesting characters as common in Salvatores' books and this story track stands on it's own. Though the convergence of the story lines of Brynn and the fallen ranger Aydrian will no doubt make for a good story in the final book of this series made up of two trilogies with one book between the two.
December 11, 2016
My sixth Demon Wars book and by far my favorite so far!
At first I was a little thrown because this book (the 2nd in this particular series) has almost nothing to do with the last book (which ended with a certain degree of a cliff hanger) but I trust Salvatore and just dug in and enjoyed the story.
We find Brynn Dharielle on a quest to lead her people to freedom. Along the way she recruits a dragon and many allies, some from earlier books and some brand new. Battles, deceptions, cover-ups, more battles and heroics. R.A. Salvatore at his storytelling peak.
Really good stuff here.
At first I was a little thrown because this book (the 2nd in this particular series) has almost nothing to do with the last book (which ended with a certain degree of a cliff hanger) but I trust Salvatore and just dug in and enjoyed the story.
We find Brynn Dharielle on a quest to lead her people to freedom. Along the way she recruits a dragon and many allies, some from earlier books and some brand new. Battles, deceptions, cover-ups, more battles and heroics. R.A. Salvatore at his storytelling peak.
Really good stuff here.
Read
July 19, 2015Can i get stars back for reading an awful book? Dreadful book, plodding, predictable story, about characters I'm completely uninterested in. After reading 5 other books in the series, the author tries to throw a curve ball by writing an entire book about a character he introduced in the last book and who left the story in the first half of the book. i would hope mr salvatore would tie up his Saga in the last book, but I won't be there to see it. The Demon Wars books [without any demons since Book 3 btw] , for me, fizzled.
July 19, 2016
Can anybody say Dragon!!!! I forgot just how much Agradeleous played a rule in this book. This second book in the second Demon Wars series was all about Brynn and the events in her homeland that will end up coming together with Pony and her son's story in the north of Honce-the-Bear. The story in this book adds so much more to the World of Cornoa. It expands and adds even more depth to this amazing fantasy world. Mr. Salvatore sucks you in with fast paced action and intrigue that keeps you at the edge of your seat, and leaves you wanting more.
September 28, 2011
M-E-H, Meh. It wasn’t a bad book or anything, it just didn’t draw me in. I liked the various cultures, especially the Jhesta Tu. I also really liked Brynn’s fiery spirit, but I found it difficult to care about her struggles. War is not really something that I can relate to.
July 9, 2007
Another great entry in the Demon Wars series...
April 15, 2010
One of the best in the series.
April 26, 2013
Another classic by the literary master known as Salvatore!
July 27, 2012
Surprisingly one of best of Salvatore's works, dare I say even better than most of the Legend of Drizzt books :O. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes adventure/fiction
February 5, 2014
definitely the slow one in this series, the only real redeeming quality is the dragon
May 10, 2024
Intrigue and non stop suspense
Love reading series book so you can come to know the people and their traditions. Can't wait to start the next book.
Love reading series book so you can come to know the people and their traditions. Can't wait to start the next book.
March 28, 2017
I love this series ! Good read for any readers who are into high fantasy. The characters are engaging and relatable, especially on this book which focuses around Brynn.
On a side note though, am I the only who has noticed how often Salvatore uses the word "sly" and "bluntly" when describing character comments? Lol
On a side note though, am I the only who has noticed how often Salvatore uses the word "sly" and "bluntly" when describing character comments? Lol
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews