I have finally finished the DemonWars Saga by R. A. Salvatore having read the last book, Immortalis. This book brings together the two previous books, Ascendance and Transcendence, to continue in a joint storyline. It opens just after Aydrian has been crowned King and Brynn has secured the freedom of the To-Gai-Ru. As Aydrian works to solidify his reign in Honce-The-Bear with the help of Duke Kalas and Marcalo De’Unnero he is opposed by his mother, Pony, Prince Midalis, Bellimar Juraviel, Braumin Herde and a whole host of others such as Brynn, Pagonel, and even Agradeleous. Pony uses her skill with the gemstones to support Prince Midalis while Brynn works to undermine Abbot Olin and his campaign to take control of Behren and To-Gai. Bellimar Juraviel helps the elves to support both groups by facilitating communication as he works to deter Aydrian from attacking the Touel’Alfar, something which he is ultimately unsuccessful at. In the midst of all this, Pony receives guidance from the spirit of Elbryan who reveals the dark influence of the demon dactyl inside of Aydrian, meaning the only way to stop Aydrian may be to drive the spirit of the dactyl out of him, much like they had to do with Father Markwart years prior.
A lot happens in this last book as it works to wrap up many of the dangling threads that were present from before. One of the biggest ones is that the final vestiges of the demon dactyl, Bestesbulzibar, whose appearance started the series, is finally eradicated. There are no more methods he can use to influence the people of Corona to do evil. It doesn’t mean there won’t still be horrible people but it does mean that it won’t be caused by the demon dactyl anymore. There is also a potentially greater chance of peace in Corona as Prince Midalis has acquired peace with the Alpinadorans through his friendship with the ranger Andacanavor and his bonds of chosen blood brother with their leader Bruinhelde. At the same time Brynn has acquired an even harder-won peace between To-Gai and Behren with potential ties to the Jhesta Tu as well. Due to the alliance between Brynn and Midalis against Aydrian, there is also the possibility of peace between the nations north of the Belt-and-the-Buckle Mountains and those south. There is also continued integration of the two groups of elves, the Touel’alfar and the Doc’alfar, through the union of Bellimar Juraviel and Cazzira. On top of this there is another showdown between Pony and De’Unnero meaning that it really feels like all of the disparate driving forces that were present in the earlier parts of the series are finally being resolved. Even the Abellican church is finally facing a sort of peace after both Olin and De’Unnero are out of the picture. Everything is finally wrapped up and the characters are finally able to rest, as much as they are ever able to, as there doesn’t really seem to be the same mortal peril that is present in the rest of the series. I always appreciate a good ending, especially one that so successfully wraps up so many different threads and storylines and characters. At the same time I am just a little sad to get to the end as it was a really great series to read and one that I really enjoyed. I think this book deserves four out of five stars.
Having read the entire series, I can confidently say that I would recommend the series to other readers. However, I also feel that since it is heavily fantasy and is set in an alternate world that it may not be for everyone. If you happen to be fans of that kind of work than I think you would enjoy it. I would recommend that you try it even if you are not a fan but it really is up to you. Due to the high level of violence throughout the series I would not recommend the series to kids or younger teens. It might be suitable for older teens depending on their maturity but it is definitely suitable for young adults or adults as it is aimed primarily at adults. If you happen to try it, let me know what you think in the comments below. I look forward to hearing what you thought of this series.