The Desert Spear

Every night, demons still rise from the earth, and the wards that hold them back are weakening. Out of the desert rides Ahmann Jardir, leading the Krasian tribes, wearing an ancient crown and carrying a spear. He names himself the Deliverer, the savior of legend, and intends to bring all of humanity under his rule for a holy war against the demons.

In the north, another man carries the same title. The Warded Man, whose skin is tattooed with combat wards, is proclaimed the savior too. He and Jardir were once allies. Now each is the other's rival.

This is the second Demon Cycle novel. It begins by going back to Jardir's own past: his brutal training and his rise within Krasia's warrior culture. The story then turns to Leesha, Rojer and the other northerners introduced in the first book, whose lands lie in the path of the advancing Krasian army.

A new and more cunning kind of demon appears while the human sides contend with betrayal and loyalty. Each faction has to weigh what the war will cost, and two claimants to one prophecy cannot both be right.