What do you think?
Rate this book
The Jantakai Saga #2
Demon's Rise
A new force is rising
Like the onset of a great storm, darkness spreads out to cover the land
Trouble is brewing across The Jantakai, the lands of the Twin Swords. Old alliances are strained, a fragile peace is threatened, and the signs of oncoming war are clear. Gods are invoked, old and new, as folk seek solace in the mystical.
Soldier in exile, Eain Connow, is thrown into the thick of the chaos when he is embroiled with first flames of a civil war in Tayo. He has had more than his share of war, but now he must fight just to survive.
Ellyah and Nastja find themselves in even deeper trouble. Hunted for reasons they do not understand, accused of vile crimes, the net tightens around them as they strive to reach the ancient city of Glithoniel. They do not know who to trust, or where to turn.
Others are drawn in, the lure of the Demon’s Tear inescapable and beguiling. They must all choose sides and work out who is friend and who is foe, if they are to live through the oncoming storm.
No prophecies
No destiny
The new heroes of our time shall choose themselves
Like the onset of a great storm, darkness spreads out to cover the land
Trouble is brewing across The Jantakai, the lands of the Twin Swords. Old alliances are strained, a fragile peace is threatened, and the signs of oncoming war are clear. Gods are invoked, old and new, as folk seek solace in the mystical.
Soldier in exile, Eain Connow, is thrown into the thick of the chaos when he is embroiled with first flames of a civil war in Tayo. He has had more than his share of war, but now he must fight just to survive.
Ellyah and Nastja find themselves in even deeper trouble. Hunted for reasons they do not understand, accused of vile crimes, the net tightens around them as they strive to reach the ancient city of Glithoniel. They do not know who to trust, or where to turn.
Others are drawn in, the lure of the Demon’s Tear inescapable and beguiling. They must all choose sides and work out who is friend and who is foe, if they are to live through the oncoming storm.
No prophecies
No destiny
The new heroes of our time shall choose themselves
541 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 28, 2025
4 people want to read
About the author
R.E. Sanders
5 books42 followersR.E. Sanders is a fantasy author based in the UK. A degree in archaeology and a fascination with British history has led him to create a world of his own in which to spin tales and create adventures.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 18, 2025
ARC Review
Demon's Rise is a fantastic continuation to The Jantakai Series.
It's faced paced, the stakes are higher, more characters and more magic. What more can a person ask for.
Rob as always did a exceptionally job with the characters, as with the side characters aswell. And it's even better here. In my review for Demon's Tear i said that I struggled with Eain, and that completely disappeared here as I got to like him much more and his story overall got so much better and intriguing.
This book is a couple of 100 pages longer than the Demon's Tear, but it doesn't feel like it with the fast paced, newest character introduction and that the character povs got nicely blended in with the main povs to keep it always exciting and will leave you with one more chapter every time.
And how everything connects in this book is so awesome and satisfying, if you haven't read this series yet. I highly recommend that you do, because this book was awesome.
Demon's Rise is a fantastic continuation to The Jantakai Series.
It's faced paced, the stakes are higher, more characters and more magic. What more can a person ask for.
Rob as always did a exceptionally job with the characters, as with the side characters aswell. And it's even better here. In my review for Demon's Tear i said that I struggled with Eain, and that completely disappeared here as I got to like him much more and his story overall got so much better and intriguing.
This book is a couple of 100 pages longer than the Demon's Tear, but it doesn't feel like it with the fast paced, newest character introduction and that the character povs got nicely blended in with the main povs to keep it always exciting and will leave you with one more chapter every time.
And how everything connects in this book is so awesome and satisfying, if you haven't read this series yet. I highly recommend that you do, because this book was awesome.
August 25, 2025
ARC review.
I finished this book two days ago. I’ve been sitting with it while I try to get my head around that ending. No spoilers, but boy did that hit hard!
Book 2 follows up with all the characters from book 1 as well as adding new characters into the mix. There are a lot of moving parts but they are all intertwined perfectly! I was excited to catch up with Ellyah and Nastja to see how the story progressed for them. I really found myself relating to both characters as their story progressed. I wasn’t sold on Eain in Demon’s Tear, but he’s definitely made up for it in Demon’s Rise!
I said in my review for Demon’s Tear that The Jantakai Saga was going epic and Rob definitely has an epic saga on his hands! The continuation of world building in book 2 is incredible! At over 500 pages this is a big book but trust me, you’re not going to want it to end! I can’t wait for the next instalment!
I finished this book two days ago. I’ve been sitting with it while I try to get my head around that ending. No spoilers, but boy did that hit hard!
Book 2 follows up with all the characters from book 1 as well as adding new characters into the mix. There are a lot of moving parts but they are all intertwined perfectly! I was excited to catch up with Ellyah and Nastja to see how the story progressed for them. I really found myself relating to both characters as their story progressed. I wasn’t sold on Eain in Demon’s Tear, but he’s definitely made up for it in Demon’s Rise!
I said in my review for Demon’s Tear that The Jantakai Saga was going epic and Rob definitely has an epic saga on his hands! The continuation of world building in book 2 is incredible! At over 500 pages this is a big book but trust me, you’re not going to want it to end! I can’t wait for the next instalment!
July 21, 2025
All of the hints of a sprawling epic that were laid and suggested throughout Demon's Tear come to fruition and then some in Demon's Rise.
First and foremost, Rob did an incredible job with the characters. In the first installment I wasn't fully sold on some of them, but in Demon's Rise, they came to play and they've drawn the big guns. Nastja en Ellyah finally show more than their skills to disguise and run away. No sir, they're now willing and able players in the board.
Eain's growth is remarkable in the book, and despite the heavy emotional baggage he carries, he came to be a bigger self with his choices. And I cannot wait to see where Rob takes him in the next book.
There's also a redemption arc from a character I never expected I would be so invested in, and that's merit on Rob. I know they'll likely end up dead, but for real I want to see what more they can achieve.
Other of the salient aspects of this book is the growing world, the map feels humongous and the intricacies of it speak of an incredibly well fleshed world.
Jantakai also becomes a more magical place and the sheer amount of unseen forces working in and out of the characters lives is a delightful puzzle laid out for us to uncover.
Demon's Rise is the perfect continuation of this epic story. If huge worlds with incredibly deep stories, intricate myths and characters that grow in the story, and most importantly, on you. Then this is the book you want.
Trust the process.
4.8⭐️
First and foremost, Rob did an incredible job with the characters. In the first installment I wasn't fully sold on some of them, but in Demon's Rise, they came to play and they've drawn the big guns. Nastja en Ellyah finally show more than their skills to disguise and run away. No sir, they're now willing and able players in the board.
Eain's growth is remarkable in the book, and despite the heavy emotional baggage he carries, he came to be a bigger self with his choices. And I cannot wait to see where Rob takes him in the next book.
There's also a redemption arc from a character I never expected I would be so invested in, and that's merit on Rob. I know they'll likely end up dead, but for real I want to see what more they can achieve.
Other of the salient aspects of this book is the growing world, the map feels humongous and the intricacies of it speak of an incredibly well fleshed world.
Jantakai also becomes a more magical place and the sheer amount of unseen forces working in and out of the characters lives is a delightful puzzle laid out for us to uncover.
Demon's Rise is the perfect continuation of this epic story. If huge worlds with incredibly deep stories, intricate myths and characters that grow in the story, and most importantly, on you. Then this is the book you want.
Trust the process.
4.8⭐️
December 5, 2025
I usually say this at the end, but I’ll start with it: if you are looking for a great epic saga, this series is for you!
It was wonderful to find familiar faces, but it was equally amazing to meet the new players (or should I say pawns?) in this very complex game board.
Like before, Sanders’ ability to describe his world is impeccable. You can easily see yourself in the busy streets of the many cities travelled by the characters, the expanse of the landscape, or the heat of the battles.
We follow the journey of several characters as they make good and bad decisions. Alliances are made, betrayals that cut deep, unexpected turns. This is a complex story and if you blink, you miss something crucial!
I loved each character’s arc and it was a pleasure to watch them grow as they were faced with external and many times internal challenges, leading to a page-turning end filled with heartbreak but also moments when I cheered out loud.
Klay is my new favourite character in this saga :D
Fans of fantasy need to add this series to their tbr!
It was wonderful to find familiar faces, but it was equally amazing to meet the new players (or should I say pawns?) in this very complex game board.
Like before, Sanders’ ability to describe his world is impeccable. You can easily see yourself in the busy streets of the many cities travelled by the characters, the expanse of the landscape, or the heat of the battles.
We follow the journey of several characters as they make good and bad decisions. Alliances are made, betrayals that cut deep, unexpected turns. This is a complex story and if you blink, you miss something crucial!
I loved each character’s arc and it was a pleasure to watch them grow as they were faced with external and many times internal challenges, leading to a page-turning end filled with heartbreak but also moments when I cheered out loud.
Klay is my new favourite character in this saga :D
Fans of fantasy need to add this series to their tbr!
August 1, 2025
4.5 Stars. ARC
I described the first book in the Jantakai Saga, Demon's Tear, as a spider web where the different POVs all move toward the middle. This is still true, and maybe even more now. The story gradually weaves together. The characters, with their struggles and ambitions, become more and more intertwined, and often in ways I couldn't predict. I gasped several times, that is always good, right?
The characters are quite many, but it never feels confusing or "too much" for me as a reader, they all have their purpose and I enjoy that the POVs sometimes get longer or several chapters in a row. Their stories get the time they need and deserve. I like a lot of them, despite them all being flawed.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the series sooo much!
I described the first book in the Jantakai Saga, Demon's Tear, as a spider web where the different POVs all move toward the middle. This is still true, and maybe even more now. The story gradually weaves together. The characters, with their struggles and ambitions, become more and more intertwined, and often in ways I couldn't predict. I gasped several times, that is always good, right?
The characters are quite many, but it never feels confusing or "too much" for me as a reader, they all have their purpose and I enjoy that the POVs sometimes get longer or several chapters in a row. Their stories get the time they need and deserve. I like a lot of them, despite them all being flawed.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the series sooo much!
October 18, 2025
Sanders advances the greater story of the saga with excellence in this second volume, but truly fourth book of relevance he has produced. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and recommend ALL his books to EVERY epic fantasy reader. Grounded in traditional tropes, there are still great new elements, characters, and tropes to enjoy here. R.E. Sanders - I’m a fan!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews