At the Gates of Darkness

February 1, 2010
Another day, another demon war. It's all child's play for Feist's heroic Conclave of Shadows in this follow-up to 2009's Rides a Dread Legion
, which continues the popular Midkemia series begun in the '80s. Villainous sorcerer Belasco releases demons who battle the usual suspects: clever magician Pug of Sorcerer's Isle; daring Conclave agent James Dasher Jamison, great-grandson of Jimmy the Hand; demon master Amirantha; warlock Brandos; and the tricky elven brothers Laromendis and Gulamendis. Sandreena, Knight-Adamant of the Order of the Shield of the Weak, also gets involved, though she's still brooding over her past relationship with Amirantha. There's an air of “been there, done that” to the familiar YAish fantasy plot, relegating it to the status of comfort reading for Feist's longtime fans.