This series gets worse and worse5 s DAuthor 2 books51

A solid 3.5 - a decent segue between the Demonwars saga and the next trilogy. To my mind, a little heavy on the church politics and Jilseponie angle. Also, at times the dialogue felt a little too forced, if I can say that.

I preferred the original trilogy to this book, actually, despite the fact that I could really feel the emotion through RAS' writing.3 s Benjamin Thomas1,980 350

R.A. Salvatore has written his absolute best book to date. That is not easy for me to say, because I have read most of his works, and always enjoy them. Sometimes his novels are full of action but fall a little short on plot. Sometimes they have mostly strong characterizations but almost always there are one or two who seem out-of-place or need some rounding out. But his stories always bring enjoyment to my reading eyes.

But this time, he has topped all of his previous efforts. Even his Dark Elf Trilogy suffers when stacked against the developing epic of this Demon Wars saga.

I first approached this book with some trepidation. I had completed the first trilogy of the Demon Wars Saga and I was worried at how he would follow-up the emotionally charged ending of that trilogy. I also knew there was (and is) a second Demon Wars Trilogy. This then would appear to be an in-between novel. Was it just filler? Would it simply serve to wrap up any loose ends from the first trilogy and set-up the second?

The answer was yes...but so much more. We do, indeed follow Jillseponie (a.k.a. Pony) as she struggles to find her way in the cruel world of Corona. She has endured much heartache in her life and labors to find her role in the post-Demon world. As the hero that vanquished the Demon of the first trilogy, as well as the evil it had spawned, Pony is offered her choice of political appointments. Whether to be baroness of a province or perhaps the mother abbot of the Ambellican Church? Perhaps she is in line to be queen? Instead she takes the road that allows her to search for answers.

The novel is a bit of a departure for Salvatore. Instead of a hoard of goblins, or a demon spirit to vanquish, and the resulting sword battles that take place throughout, the enemy this time takes the form of the Rosy Plague. This extremely contagious disease has swept through Corona in centuries past and has led to thousands of deaths and immeasurable suffering. There is no known cure, even with the powerful magical "soul stones" of the monks of the Ambellican church. A truly formidable opponent indeed.

We get to see all the characters of previous books in the series, old friends to us now. We struggle with their decisions, both selfish and noble, as they choose how to best help the plague victims, or how best to avoid them. These characters are real. How they act faced with such calamity, may surprise you, just as those in real life may well surprise you when faced with similar circumstances. And we also get to know new characters, who will undoubtedly have large roles in the follow-on trilogy.

There is a great deal of political intrigue in this novel, both for the secular rulers of the region, as well as with the pervasive Ambellican Church. And how these institutions deal with their responsibilities to the people they serve, is fascinating to watch. Neither approach is flattering. And don't worry. There are a few action scenes as well, which are presented with the amazing Salvatore flare.

The best, most satisfying stories, whether fact or fiction, are those that triumph over the most difficult obstacles. Salvatore, in this book, has created an absolutely immense obstacle to overcome: the Rosy Plague. And along with it are numerous lesser obstacles, but nevertheless difficult to conquer. The way in which Jillseponie, addresses these issues is extremely gratifying. The ending is very satisfying and yet leaves open a yearning to hear more from these people. So you might want to have the next book on hand just so you won't have to rush out and get it. fantasy-epic1 Chris Fox54 39

OVERVIEW
The problem I had with this book was it seemed to lack focus. It was filled with interesting set ups for new narratives such as the introduction of a new breed of elves that practices necromancy, A To-Gai girl named Brynn Dharielle that will become a new ranger, and Marcalo DeÂ’Unnero splitting from the church at form a new religious sect. These stores while interesting never really go anywhere they just seem to set the stage for future novels. Instead the narrative is focused on the politics between church and kingdom, and while more interesting than the previous book I found it to still lack intrigue, mostly due to the fact that the monks kind of blend together and seem to change there views of the church and its direction regularly, the kingdom on the other hand isn't well represented as there are only a few notable characters and we see none of them through there own point of view. More importantly than the lackluster politics the story also follows the spreading of the Rosey Plague, which was done very well in my opinion, and you can really feel the mounting fear in the people of Corona. In the end I was disappointed in this book it started off well many books in this series then kind of began to meander dragging its feet the whole way. This book seems to exist purely to fill in the gapes between the first trilogy and the second but can't stand on its own two legs.

NEGATIVE
- Many of the monks blend together and there is not enough personality in the masses to create memorable characters apart from a few.

- Large time jumps mess with the pacing and in the end about 10 or so years have passed many times jumping ahead years at a time with out a word from characters.

- Roger Lockless falling in love with dainsy felt it existed purely for convenience to help drive the plot forward and kind of came out of nowhere.

- The ending was incredibly obvious from the first mention that the stones couldn't heal the plague and I felt it took way to long to get there.

POSITIVE
+ The use of the plague was something you don't see often used in high fantasy and it is to be applauded, even more so knowing that this was written while a friend of R.A. Salvatore's was batting cancer.

+ All the set ups that were mentioned above as well as a few others where truly the highlight of this novel and helps to expand the world of Corona.

+ The ending while predictable was enjoyable and help elevate Pony to even higher standing as a hero.
1 Kristin208 7

I really really d this book. There was so many different things going on in Corona. So many different people and so many different stories. There was so much chaos and pain going on throughout the entire book. The Rosie Plague found its way to Corona and spread throughout the land. There was no hope and the Monks and the King and his men hid from the plague. There were few that were brave enough to go out and help the victims of the plague. Very few.

After the horrible pains and trials that Pony dealt with from the 3rd book, Pony felt helpless. She went back to Dundalis where her and Elbryan grew up. She had no purpose anymore, until she learned of the plague.

I honestly don't know how Salvotore can come up with so many different characters and so many different stories, but he does and he is good at it. When I really get into his books, I have a hard time putting them down. 1 Austin Outlaw37

The plot of points of Mortalis come together to bring either barely used portions of the previous book, or to develop upcoming plot for the book after. The main plot for this book comes in the form of the Rosy Plague that comes from the southern part of Honce-The-Bear.

What I d:
- The development of Church vs Crown political intrigue from the previous book (and thankfully not just letting it die after Markwart's death)
- Character development/experiences + new/barely used character development (RIP Francis)
- The extension of the magic system and how the plague affects it + new ways it is interacted with
- Development of plot which introduces new forces to come (Aydrian (w/Bestilbulzibar) + Doc'alfar)

What I didn't : (Possible future issues)
- Lack of presence from newcomers (though this seems intended for the next book to carry them on)
- Avelyn saves the day a third time? When does the action of Jilseponie, and her actions alone actually save the day rather than doing some good here and there, for then another and larger force take over the victory?
- Victory again. The end of it all currently, though it does have its sacrifices, still comes out on the top, when it feels for its situation that there just shouldn't be any winner and that losses should just be part of an end. Sometimes people lose and in this situation of the Plague, it felt forced that the blood of Avelyn saves you from the plague, but then sooooo many people just come by and starts taking the blood! It feels so strange and much of a reach.

Wrap-up:
- The plague definitely gave rise to issues of how people were treated when sickened with the plague and how the church became blamed for the issue of the plague, which then made it easier for Marcalo to develop his cult around their anger. I am disappointed in the use of Avelyn again for getting rid of the plot of the plague so easily, though I thought the overall use of the plague was otherwise well done, but its ending felt much a reach.
- The elves just hit you with such a NEGATIVE FORCE in this book with the fact that they have essentially kidnapped Pony's child and to top that off, take from the Humans though they say the stones are of their territory, and reason their kidnapping to be fair due to their sword-dance being taught to Pony by Elbryan. What ASSHOLES.
- All-in-all with all of the plot points introduced and others converged into this book, it all sets itself together in the 2nd best book of the series so far, with the 1st being The Demon Spirit.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Adam Fisher3,084 15

Well, it took almost the whole year, but I finally finished the last book in my reread of Corona. Ascendance, the next book, and start of the second DemonWars Trilogy, I have actually never read. With the release of the new Corona books, I have decided to go through and finish the series.
Anyways, the review....

During several author signings I have been to for Mr. Salvatore, he has frequently listed this book as the best he ever wrote. Being extremely partial to Drizzt and company, I don't agree, BUT this is an excellent book. The post-Markwart Abellican Church is in turmoil and it only gets worse as they close their gates due to the spread of the Rosy Plague. Leadership is still divided over the importance of Avelyn's sacrifice, but making strides. King Ursal has two kids by his companion Constance, though are they really in line for the throne? And the tutelage of Aydrian Wyndon and Brynn Dharielle continues in the homeland of the elves... without Pony's knowledge.
The book really allows the characters of Pony and Brother Francis to shine. Francis grows as a character, going out among the plague victims to do what he can to help, hoping to make something of his life. Pony, the main character of these tales, takes herself along the path of mourning and redemption, not only learning the secrets of Oracle, but works tirelessly to fight the disease before learning of it's cure. On the blasted mountaintop of Aida in the Barbican, the hand of Avelyn bleeds. Anyone who tastes of the blood (further referred to as the "Covenant of Avelyn") can be cured or immunized of the Rosy Plague. Jilseponie (going now by her formal name instead of nickname Pony) has accepted the role of Baroness of Palmaris, but what further adventures lie in store for her?

Salvatore has been, is, and will continue to be my favorite author. In 2019, I will be hungrily devouring the Corona series.
High recommend. Geoff Battle545 6

The original DemonWars saga, for those who read it at the time, is a mere memory, albeit a pleasurable one. Mortalis features most of the original heroes and Salvatore recalls the deeds performed historically for much of this book. Mortalis is a stepping stone to the further adventures within this setting and although Mortalis is a standalone novel, it revives old memories, provides important new keystones for a new saga and ties up loose ends in the process. Salvatore is canny though and Mortalis does all that and manages to slowly, ever so slowly, build a story of spreading evil, entwining the heroes once more. Mortalis revolves around a church in crisis, a religion under threat and how the Crown seeks to use this to its own advantage. Although the first two thirds offer little action, the character building and scenario setting pay off in the final third. A welcome return to Corona and a platform to further deliver upon. Peter De Kinder169 1 follower

Picked this up at a flea market, not realising it was part 4 of a series. However, it doesn't bother as it is a transition book between two sets of trilogies, and deals with topics not really related to either story. It serves as a setup for the new trilogy, and a wrapup of the previous one, showing a world in shambles, scurrying to reconstruct alliances to fill up a power vacuum created at the end of the previous book. It deals with sorrow, intrigue, and fear of death. Not a lot of action in this book, but that doesn't bother. It is a refreshing read from standard fantasy books.fiction leisure Keil Hunsaker45

Kind of slow compared to the other novels in the series, but picks up at the end ????????? ???????????Author 2 books4

Potent and astonishing story Michael92 1 follower

Salvatore continues to disappoint with this series. The concepts are all really good. Unfortunately, they are bungled by shallow characterization.2019 fantasy Dan228

Eh not much happens in here that was super interesting...plus I still dis Lady Dasslerond and her bigoted view of things. Vijay280 6

Slow to start,
but satisfying in the end. Keith Christoffers557 Want to read

Newaudiobooks fantasy Angela282 44

This story was slow to start with a lot of politics and religion but the action picked up and it finished nicely. Jurgen213

A lot less action then we are used to from Salvatore but still a good story to end the trilogy Tyson Rowell5

Probably my favorite Salvatore book ever. Chip Hunter579 6

Salvatore often states that he believes this is the best book he's ever written, and I cannot disagree. While much different than most of his other books (think Forgotten Realms), MORTALIS will nonetheless please both old and new Salvatore fans. Darker and more mature than most of his work, the entire DemonWars saga is full of death, desperation, and fallible characters. Still fantasy, but much more believable and serious than any of the Drizzt books. And, MORTALIS is my favorite of the series thus far. However, it is not an appropriate place to start the series. To really understand what is going on and appreciate the manner in which Salvatore has developed the world of Corona, you need to start at the beginning, with The Demon Awakens (which is also excellent).

MORTALIS serves as a transition between the first and second trilogies of the DemonWars Saga. Continuing the story where THE DEMON APOSTLE left off, with Jilseponie facing the truth of her lover's death and the Abellican church left in turmoil after the exposure of the demon-possessed Markwart, the first part of this book is fairly limited in scope, but necessary. Fairly quickly however, new aspects of the story are introduced. Plague has come to Corona and nobody is able to prevent or cure this newest threat. Neither the nobility or the church has any effective way to fight back against the insidious disease which threatens the entire land, and so lock themselves away in fortresses in order to protect themselves. Pony and a few others cannot stand by and watch the suffering, and try their hands at healing, only to meet disappointment. Death and desperation are the common theme throughout the majority of this book, as the impossible new enemy claims untold numbers of lives.

The world of Corona is dramatically expanded in the volume. An entire new race of elves is briefly introduced and is sure to play a prominent role in the next trilogy. Also, a group of renegade monks known as the Brothers Repentant is born, led by no other than our old nemesis De'Unnero himself. Also, Jilseponie grows as a character, going from despondency to determination to save the world. While the ending of this book is fairly conclusive (MORTALIS could be considered a stand-alone novel) it leaves room for an exciting continuation.

My favorite Salvatore book to date. Very highly recommended. PetrosAuthor 1 book163

The fourth book is more underwhelming than it is bad. There are a dozen threats happening at the same time, and none of them can be beaten with raw force.
-The goblins bring an incurable plague
-A sect of murderous radicals spreads, while the people are feeling hopeless because of the plague
-An ambitious noble stages pawri attacks to get closer to the throne
-The northern barbarians are about to rebel by how they are ignored in favor of the royal army
-An army of zombies controlled by wild elves blocks the western regions
-JilÂ’s baby keeps growing up, unknowing to her she is the incarnation of the demon

All the above are fascinating as conflicts and there is a constant feeling of despair and death throughout the book. The problem is, the conflicts are ignored or resolved in a meh way to the most part, so there isnÂ’t much pay off.
-The plague is cured simply by kissing the remains of Avelyn. How cheap is that? Also, why canÂ’t they simply bring his remains to the south and allow thousands to die during their pilgrimage there? Also, where the heck are the foromian giants? The northern mountains were full of them in the previous books and in this one they just disappear.
-De Unnero, the evil priest from the previous books, is revealed to be the monster that killed the nobles and that ends the murderous cult. But he still gets away with it. Cheap resolution is cheap.
-The nobleÂ’s scheme is revealed andÂ… nothing comes out of it. He doesnÂ’t get punished and there is no change in the hierarchy, so what was the point of this side story?
-The barbarians instantly forget their grudge the moment the priest and the noble are exposed. Boring!
-The army of zombies is completely forgotten. ItÂ’s it never existed!
-The incarnation of the demon is there and doesnÂ’t matter yet. ItÂ’s just sequelbait.

So as a whole, the book had an amazing build-up and a disappointing resolution. Seth KenlonAuthor 9 books12

I never read past three books in a series, so the fact that this book not just kept my interest but also is probably one of my favourite story developments so far is impressive in itself. This book started a little slow, and I feared it might be falling into a kind of political soap opera, but eventually it became clear who or what the *real* enemy was going to be in the book, and to my amazement, it was profound.

Without giving anything away, I'll say that the nemesis of this book is a great equalizer. I was never really sure what the Demon was, in the first book, or if it stood for anything greater (there's been that suggestion throughout that it was borne of the evil in men, so is it the literal manifestation of that, or is that just superstition?) but the enemy in this book is very clear, very definite, and surprisingly effective.

Character development continues, without any betrayal. R.A. Salvatore is treating each character that we have come to know and love with the utmost respect and realism. No one is falling in serving as a caricature, people are doing the things you'd expect them to do, and also surprising things that you didn't expect but that seem, upon analysis, very much something they would do.

A very good book. A pleasure to read. Highly recommended.sf Scott1,262 120

A stand alone novel that bridges the first and second of the Demon Wars trilogies in Salvatore's world of Corona. He has stated in many interviews that this is his favorite book that he has ever written. Salvatore also stated that he turned this book in and there were no edits, his editor told him not to change a word.

So with that being said I had high hopes for this book when I started.

It is essentially a book about an outbreak of the plague and how the nobility, the church and the common folk handle it. Our hero is Pony but all of the favorite are back.

It was odd having a Salvatore book that didn't have a battle every 40 pages but he leaned heavy on his other strength - that being his characters, their development, their interactions and their growth.

I did enjoy the book but really felt that there wasn't enough story to actually fill the book.
With the plot that he gives us this might have been an excellent novella but there just isn't enough reason to have the story take hundreds and hundreds of pages.

I am looking forward to the second Demon Wars trilogy.
fantasy Jeff248 4

I put off reading this book for a long time after finishing the previous trilogy because I was not overly impressed with those books. However, I after finally getting back into the series for some summertime travel reading, I found this book rather enjoyable. It is an introduction to the second Demonwars Saga, and picks up the story of Jilseponie, the royalty of Honce-the-Bear, and the Abellican church shortly after the previous trilogy ends. More than anything else it is a story of change and transformation, rather than a battle between Good Guys and Evil villians. There is still a villain lurking about that has to be dealt with, and if you read the previous books you can guess who it is. Still, there is far less fighting in this book than its predecessors, or in most of Mr. Salvatore's works. I think it benefits from less swordplay and larger challenges that are faced by all of the major characters of the story. It is a far more spiritual story than a typical fantasy novel.
Kostas302 42

6/10

'Mortalis' is a, somewhat, stand-alone book working as a bringe for the two trilogies, The DemonsWars and The Second DemonsWars, that brings the change to the world.
The is nothing the first three books as it has no action whatsover, though what Salvatore wants to show here is the change, the destruction that comes after the war; the plague that spreads over the world, and with characters having to face this time a much different enemy.
What really bothered me, though, is that Salvatore keeps using Avelyn's hand a solution for everything - something he's done over and over.

Overall, it is a mediocre book as it drags too much and if it was a little faster, I believe, that it could have come out much better in the end.

epic-high-fantasy fantasy Kyleigh142 7

Pretty good. Slower than the others have been. I was pretty disappointed by this book because I have heard from many sources, including Salvatore himself, that this is the best book heÂ’s ever written. I just didnÂ’t feel that. It was good enough, but not great, and certainly not the best heÂ’s done. I d where Pony ended up, but watching her get there was a little painful. Francis was the true hero of the novel, giving any hope of life to follow his beliefs. The whole plague theme had a lot going for it and lent itself well to pointing out manÂ’s weaknesses. The solution to the plague, however, was less-than cool. I also didnÂ’t appreciate the bookÂ’s preachiness. Ren Bedasbad489 3

I was really enjoying the beginning of this book. Not as much action, but more character building and seeing the repercussions of the first trilogy. But then it got frustrating and I lost interest. The book focuses a lot on the church, which is fair enough since their world got turned upside down. For me the church made no sense. The book is all about their political structure and nothing on their beliefs or their creed. For some reason the people love them, even though all they do is openly murder and torture. The book became unenjoyable to read so I decided to put it down. audiobook Debbie231 14

I had a hard time getting into this book. I kept putting it down for the first half. It just wasn't as compelling at first as the last series had been. Maybe it was the fact that there wasn't some evil force to be fighting, just disease and indifference. Also, the whole sequence about Prince Midalis befriending the Alpinadorians wasn't especially interesting to me. By the end, though, I found myself drawn in. I will definitely be reading the rest of these. Sean Watson21 Read

Mortalis is a heartwrenching tale of faith and hope, that is the bridge between the first and second series set in the world of Corona. Rereading it now after all these years since it first came out. Has made me realize that it is my favorite of the 7 books that originally came out, before he went back and did The Highwayman series. As much as I love his Forgotten Realms books, this series which is his creator owned is by far my favorite of all his works. Justin Harvey1 review

Possibly Salvatore's best work to date. As a fluke, it was the one Demon Wars novel in the library that I went to several years ago, and despite being the transition book for the two Demon Wars trilogies, I was able to get right into it. Salvatore brings more emotion into this book than any previous works. Highly recommended. Dennis Duggan4 1 follower

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